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22/05/2023
The old mining town of Westport sits in the north of the West Coast and has preserved much of its gold and coal mining heritage. The Denniston Experience tour (15 kilometers north of Westport) allows you to travel down into a coal mine worked in the 1880s, while in Westport itself, there is a small museum dedicated to the local mining industry, which gave birth to the town.
22/05/2023
The West Coast Treetop Walk at Lake Mahinapua near Hokitika allows you to experience life in the canopy. A 20-meter-high steel platform traverses the native forest beside Lake Mahinapua, so you can enjoy a bird's-eye view of the rimu and kamahi tree canopy.
22/05/2023
The tiny village of Okarito (population 30) lies scattered across a lagoon beside New Zealand's largest wetlands area. Bird-watchers and nature lovers are in for a treat here, with more than 70 bird species found in the vicinity. Of particular interest, the Okarito forest is home to the rare Rowi kiwi.
22/05/2023
Much of the West Coast region is part of Westland Tai Poutini National Park, which stretches from the mountains of the Southern Alps to the seashore, and encompasses the glaciers of Franz Josef and Fox. Covering some of New Zealand's most pristine native forest areas, the national park is prime territory for adventure fans and nature lovers with a swag of hiking and trekking opportunities.
22/05/2023
The mirror image of alpine peaks on the surface of Lake Matheson has made it a photographer's dream. On a still day, when the lake's surface is calm, you can capture an astonishingly clear reflection of the snow-capped mountains of Aoraki (Mount Cook) and Mount Tasman in the lake's surface, thanks to the natural brown water color of the lake (caused by algae).
22/05/2023
Near the tiny settlement of Punakaiki, at Dolomite Point, are the famous Pancake Rocks. These limestone formations were carved by the erosive effects of water and wind over 30 million years, leaving behind bizarre layered rock towers that look like stacks of pancakes. Amid the rocks are various blowholes where salt spray whips up.
22/05/2023
It's called one of the world's great train journeys for good reason. The TranzAlpine Railway travels between Christchurch (in Canterbury on the South Island's east coast) to Greymouth (the largest town on the West Coast) via the breathtaking scenery of the Southern Alps.
22/05/2023
The old gold mining town of Hokitika is the West Coast'smain tourism hub, hugging a wild and rugged strip of beach with clear views over the peaks of the Southern Alps to the east. It is a center of pounamu (New Zealand greenstone) production, and there are many boutiques to browse, showcasing a fine array of pounamu jewelry and carvings, as well as a clutch of other local artisan stores.
22/05/2023
Like Franz Josef Glacier to the north, Fox Glacier is one of the few places in the world where you can easily view a glacier without being a mountaineer. The glacier's terminal face is rimmed by temperate rainforest and descends to 500 meters above sea level.
22/05/2023
Spilling down from the mountain into a narrow valley and surrounded by green hillsides, the Franz Josef Glacier is a beautiful sight in a stunning setting.