West Coast Travel Guides

Hokitika Airport

Paparoa National Park - Pancake Rock

Settled quietly between Westport & Greymouth, Punakaiki township is the gateway to Paparoa National Park. Opened in 1987, Paparoa National...

Greymouth Aerodrome

The Great Alpine Highway

The Great Alpine Highway is aptly named, and traverses the Southern Alps between Christchurch and the West Coast. Following roughly the same route...

Arthurs Pass National Park

In the heart of the Southern Alps is Arthur's Pass National Park covering almost 115,000ha on the historic road between Canterbury and the...

Lake Brunner

Situated 37 kilometres from Greymouth, Lake Brunner offers an excellent opportunity to relax and enjoy the beauty and wonder of the natural world....

Craigieburn Forest Park

Craigieburn Forest Park sprawls over the broad slopes of this eastern foothills range of the Southern Alps, 1½ hours drive from Christchurch...

Getting to the West Coast

The West Coast lies between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps, on the South Island's west coast. This ruggedly beautiful region is one of...

Mt Olympus

Mt Olympus is a club ski field in the Craigieburn Range set in a wide, south facing basin and offering a variety of runs on uncrowded slopes. Mt...

Porters Ski Area

Located 89km from the International Airport, Porters Ski Area is the closest ski area to Christchurch. Facilities include 5 lifts, half pipe...

Franz Josef Glacier

The Franz Joseph was named after the Austrian Emperor and named by the first explorer of the glacier and fellow Austrian, geologist Julius von...

Tasman Glacier

The Tasman Glacier is the largest of several glaciers which flow south and east towards the Mackenzie Basin from the Southern Alps in New...

Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park

Korowai/Torlesse Tussocklands Park covers approximately 21,000 hectares centred on the Torlesse and Big Ben Ranges, in Canterbury's high...

Westland Tai Poutini National Park

Situated in Central West Coast, the Westland Tai Poutini National Park is an exquisitely beautiful slice of wilderness. From peaks climbing over...

Lake Matheson

One of New Zealand's great scenic icons lies just 6km from Fox Glacier. On a still, clear day it reflects the unforgettable image of New...

Fox Glacier

The Fox Glacier is 25 kms south along the road from Franz Josef. This glacier was named after the New Zealand Prime Minister, Sir William Fox...

Getting to Canterbury

Canterbury is a vast region on the South Island's east coast. A region of ever-changing scenery, Canterbury's diversity stretches from...

Punakaiki - The Pancake Rocks

Punakaiki, on the South Island's West Coast, is located 45kms north of Greymouth. Gateway to the Paparoa National Park, Punakaiki is renowned...

Mueller Glacier

Named after German-Australian botanist and explorer Baron von Mueller, the Mueller Glacier is a 13 kilometre long glacier flowing through...

Mt Hutt

Located high in the Southern Alps, Canterbury's Mt Hutt Ski Area receives some of the lightest and driest powder in Australasia. It typically...