Plunging westward from a chain of cloud-piercing and snow-capped mountains, the
West Coast
of the South Island is a rugged, wild and last frontier territory. It
offers luxuriant rainforests, lakes, glaciers, breathtaking coastal
scenery and a truly fascinating mountain-to-sea ecosystem unlike any
other in the country.
It has a most diverse landscape with beautiful mountains, gurgling riversfreshwater lakes, dense forests, diverse wetlands, accessible glaciers, beaches and amazing caves. The
West Coast region stretches some 600
km from North to South and it truly is a miraculous piece of paradise
that is no wider than 70 km at any one point. The wild and pounding
waters of the
Tasman Sea relentlessly hammers its coastline
covered in temperate coastal forest, from the red flowered Ratas to the
native yellow Kowhai. The
West Coast is a region of outstanding natural beauty. Five of
New Zealand’s National Parks are here and South West New Zealand has been declared a
World Heritage Area. Visitors can take guided walks onto the glaciers at
Franz Josef or
Fox Glacier, and visit the “icefalls”, a stunning natural phenomenon. Some of the major towns are
Westport, Greymouth and
Hokitika. Combined with the fascinating and unique wildlife, including the rare
kiwi and white heron (kotuku), seal colonies, penguins, dolphins and a variety of unique alpine flora, this 600 km long stretch of coastal region is a must-see for anyone visiting
New Zealand.
Nature lovers are right at home here and it is no
surprise that the
West Coast attracts an ever increasing number of visitors from both, overseas and other parts of
New Zealand.
The region is known to have high rainfall due to the prevailing
northwesterly wind patterns and its location on the Western slopes of
the
Southern Alps.