WEST COAST TREE TOP WALKWAY I can highly recommend this walk. It is a totally different way of experiencing New Zealand's native forests. They even have a golf cart that can drive you up to the start of the canopy walk for those with mobility issues. There is an excellent cafe and a shop selling beautiful NZ crafts and souvenirs. Check out their web page and Facebook page for special deals. You can also check on Bookme for discounts.
LOCATION : Arahura/Blue Spur
MODERATE
Time: 1.5 hour loop walk
Access: Carpark on Blue Spur Road
Features: Old Chinese goldmining workings: races, stone walls and shafts in regrowth native forest. Great fun for kids to explore but care required due to steeper sections, hidden drops and shafts. Stick to the track, wear good footwear as parts can be slick.
LOCATION : Hokitika Gorge
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok
Time: 35 minute return UPDATE: There are now 2 swing bridges so it is a loop walk rather than having to double back.
Access: 25km east of Hokitika. Turn inland onto Stafford St from SH6/Fitzherbert St and follow the yellow signs saying Hokitika Gorge. Be prepared for lots of turning! (Passes Kowhitirangi Incident memorial on route).
Features: Top rated activity in Hokitika on TripAdvisor! Wheelchair accessible viewpoint overlooking a magnificent granite gorge with milky blue-green pools, backed by cliffs and fine rimu forest. Head further along to a swingbridge and then the edge of the Gorge itself. Take care as some dropoffs on the south bank are slippery.
LOCATION : Lake Kaniere
EASY
Time: 2 minutes.
Access: Carpark beside bridge at Dorothy Falls Rd on eastern side of lake.
Features: Short path to pool at base of best local falls. Awesome in a good rain.
HOKITIKA HERITAGE WALK
LOCATION : Hokitika Town
EASY - Buggies/Strollers ok
Time: 30 min for quayside and central town features. Longer if you want to see the whole thing
Access: From i-Site & Museum, or any point along the walk.
Features: Goldrush & river-port town historic heritage sites, buildings & statues. Brochure & information panels bring history to life. Augmented reality is available in some spots so bring your smartphone and get the app. Request a brochure showing the whole walk from the Visitor i-Site.
LOCATION : Lake Kaniere
MODERATE
Time: 4 hours one way
Access: Carpark just south of southern end of lake. Follows western shore of lake. Ends at Sunny Bight at northern end of lake.
Features: Lush forest, great lake and mountain views, bays and beaches. Open to mountain biking.
LOCATION : Lake Kaniere
HARD & STEEP
Time: 7 hours return. 7.6 km
Access: Signposted on Dorothy Falls Rd just south of Hans Bay.
Features: Best local access to open mountain tops. Panoramic views of Southern Alps, Lake Kaniere, coastal plains and Hokitika. Must be fit. Good footwear required.
LOCATION : Kumara
EASY
Time: 10 min one way
Access: Turn off SH73, 1 km east of Kumara onto a metalled road running alongside a water race
Features: Walk passes through stone-fields of old goldmining tailings & manuka forest to huge glacier-deposited boulder, too big for the early miners to move or break.
LOCATION : Awatuna/Goldsborough
EASY
Time: 20 minute loop
Access: Signposted on Stafford-Goldsborough roadside with carpark.
Features: Track enters and exits through old goldmining tailrace tunnels and meanders through old gold workings. Passes through regenerating rimu, kamahi and tree fern forest. A great place to see glowworms at night.
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Every day visitors to Hokitika tell me that they wish they had known how much there was to see and do here. "We really wish we had booked to stay more than one night!" I hear this so often I thought it was time to try and create a short guide to give people an idea of what they can do and why one night if definitely not long enough.
·5 min read
So you are coming to travel the South Island of New Zealand and the West Coast is on your itinerary. Congratulations on making a great decision! Now you need to figure out where to stay. There are lots of choices, from regular motel rooms, hotels and campgrounds. But, how about something a lot more interesting and fun? We can offer you a choice of places to suit your needs depending on your interests, group size and budget. Which ever option you choose, we promise you that it
·2 min read
What To Do With The Kids When It Rains in Hokitika
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