Ten top West Coast adventures

If you’re looking for an epic backcountry adventure, you need to travel The Old Ghost Road, a long-forgotten gold miners' road revived as an 85-km mountain biking/tramping trail. It takes you deep into the Kahurangi National Park, and also into the mindsets of the 1900s pioneers who founded the remote ghost towns en route. Top tip: book your final night at the trail-end Rough and Tumble Lodge.

More into a milder multi-day mission? Try the four-day West Coast Wilderness Trail, where you will wind through ancient rainforests, along rocky river banks and beside rugged coastline. Small towns and heritage sites offer a chance to delve deep into the region’s fascinating history. Do the whole thing, or dip in for a day-ride.

The beech forest and historic goldfields surrounding Reefton also feature a range of mountain biking tracks. Most tracks can be accessed by bike or a short 10-15 minute drive from Reefton.

No West Coast roadie should miss the natural spectacle that is the pancake rocks at Punakaiki. Understandably the Coast’s most visited attraction – geyser-like plumes of salt water spray through massive blowholes and thump and pound in the limestone tunnels. But wait, there’s more to see here – just across the road, the Paparoa National Park beckons.

Here you can wander by the water in a rainforest of nīkau palms on the Pororari River Track or take a short 30-minute forest walk to a stunning beach on the nearby Truman Track. Get waterside for a serene stand-up-paddle or kayak on the Punakaiki Lagoon or Pororari River.

With rapids to suit all abilities, stunning gorges, and underground river options, there’s lots to love about rafting on the West Coast. Based in Reefton, Inland Adventures can arrange grade 3 and 4 rafting adventures on the Grey and Waiau rivers.

South of Westport, historic Charleston offers caving adventures of a different kind. Here you get to float through glow-worm caverns before tumbling down some gentle rapids on the Waitakere River.

Looking for an even lower-effort adventure? In Greymouth, On Yer Bike Adventures offer muddy missions into the 'enchanted' West Coast rainforest via quad bike.

One of New Zealand’s rarest, Fiordland crested penguins can be spotted on the short but scenic Monro Beach Walk near Haast. They nest here and are often seen bobbing up and down in the surf in spring. Look out for Hector’s dolphins whenever you are near the sea, and New Zealand fur seals too (the largest colony can be seen from the short Cape Foulwind Walkway).

Between Hokitika and Franz Josef, Ōkārito is one of the West Coast’s hidden natural gems.

This tranquil lagoon is best explored by kayak with spectacular mountains-to-sea views and the chance to encounter the rare and mythical kōtuku/white heron. Rare rowi kiwis can be seen (and heard!) in the nearby Ōkārito Forest. For their origin story (and to hear more about conservation on the Coast), visit the hatchery at the West Coast Wildlife Centre.

Wild landscapes, wild food. If you are feeling like getting out of your comfort zone in more ways than one, visit the annual Hokitika Wildfoods Festival (next edition, March 2024). Just about anything goes (in the mouth) here – from barbequed huhu grubs to wasp larvae ice cream.

Many entrepreneurial brewers and distillers have sprung up here in recent years. Try the stylish Reefton Distilling Co. for tastings and tales about their flagship Little Biddy gin, or visit down-to-earth Hopaholics in Greymouth, a sustainable craft brewery that uses pure rain water in their wide range of beers.

Other West Coast classics include whitebait pizza from Fat Pipi (Hokitika), pub grub with a side of history at the Theatre Royal Hotel (Kumara), and the freshest fish ‘n chips on the beach at the quirky Craypot in Jackson Bay where you’ll feel at the end of the world (in the best possible way).