5 minute read
Road Trip - Journey to Greymouth
Westport to Greymouth
Westport to Greymouth via SH 6 - 1hr 26min, 101km
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SIDE TRIP - Westport to Reefton via SH 6 & SH 69 - 1hr 2min, 78.8km
SIDE TRIP - Greymouth to Moana/ Lake Brunner via SH 7 & Arnold Valley - 32min, 36.5km
© AA Traveller 2021
This is a trip worthy of its place among the top coastal drives in the world. If you are driving in the evening, you’ll want to stop at one of the many roadside viewing platforms to capture a sunset photo.
Wedged between the Tasman Sea on one side and the Paparoa Range on the other, the road winds through coastal forest where you can see unusual, ancient rock formations. On walks through the forest, you’ll come across exquisite native daisies, large carnivorous snails and the remains of historic engineering feats.
Extending from the Mōkihinui River in the north, inland to the Buller Gorge and to Tauranga Bay in the south, the Westport area is a perfect place for adventure and discovery. Whether it’s looking for glowworms in the Nile Caves, 4WD tours through the Awakari Valley or being soaked by sea spray at Punakāiki, the region offers a genuine West Coast experience.
Going further inland, discover the township of Moana, once a sleepy village and now a thriving holiday spot, alongside the tranquil Lake Brunner.
HIGHLIGHTS
CAPE FOULWIND a prominent headland overlooking the Tasman Sea and connected to Tauranga Bay by a walking track. The site has a large New Zealand fur seal colony, blue penguins and a thriving bird population of sooty shearwaters. There are several viewing platforms along the cliffs for admiring rugged coastline, seals and if you’re very lucky, Hector’s dolphins too.
THE BALLROOM OVERHANG A great half-day hike for a lunchtime picnic. This large limestone outcrop is about 500m upstream from the Fox River/Dilemma Creek confluence. The Ballroom is reached via the Inland Pack Track. You need to cross rivers along the way so check weather forecasts before you go and don’t cross any rivers that are swollen after heavy rain.
PUNAKĀIKI CAVERN A short walk from Punakāiki Village, there is a wooden staircase that takes you into 130m of safe passages within the cavern. Take a torch and look for stalacities.
TRUMAN TRACK Enjoy an easy walk through thick forest of rata, podocarp and nīkau palms along dramatic coastline complete with a blowhole and waterfall. The track has access to a small beach that is safe to explore at low tide. 15min, 700m one way.
Beach at Truman Track
© Adobe Stock
PANCAKE ROCKS Stop at Punakāiki for pancakes!Immense water pressure and seismic activity have left behind tiered limestone formations and yes, they look just like pancakes. If you time it right with a high tide and storm surge, you’ll be rewarded with spectacular jets of spray shooting sky high through the blowholes.
HORSE & CART TOURS Meet Duke the Clydesdale. This gentle, giant horse at Golden Sands Wagon Tours will take you on a two and a half hour journey to his favourite parts of the Barrytown.
BARRYTOWN KNIFEMAKING Thirty minutes from Greytown, spend the day making your own hand-forged blade from red hot steel. For extra fun, partake in optional activities such as axe throwing.
GREYMOUTH
Rapahoe Beach, Greymouth
© Julian Apse
Greymouth is the largest town on the West Coast and turnaround point for the Tranz Alpine train. The town made a name for itself during the coal mining and gold rush eras and The History House is a museum packed with relics from this time. An 11km jaunt out of town leads to Brunner Mine Site, a significant mining location. Take the 2km walk around coke ovens and tunnel remnants.
Back in town, all that was gold is now green, with various pounamu (jade stone) galleries to admire. If bronze is more your thing, Monteiths Brewery Tour delves behind the beer making scene and welcomes visitors to pull (and drink) their own pint.
Greymouth Highlights
Left Bank Art Gallery
Shantytown
Monteiths Brewery
Brunner Mine
Forest walks
Dixon Park
The TranzAlpine
HISTORY WITH A PULSE
Shantytown is a re-creation of a 19th century gold-mining town. A life-size village plucked straight out of the 1860s. Wander in and out of the houses, stores, jail and tearoom; quench your thirst in the saloon bar; dress up in period attire and ride a vintage steam train. Volunteers dressed in period costume contribute to the entertainment.
Shantytown
@ West Coast Tourism
SIDE TRIP - MOANA & LAKE BRUNNER
LAKES, MINES AND WALKS Head out from Greymouth on SH 7, turn right at Stillwater and drive until you come to Moana– a tiny settlement that is a stop on the famous Tranz Alpine railway on the edge of Lake Brunner. The lake holds excellent stock of wild brown trout and can be fished all year round and in any weather.
There are seven New Zealand Department of Conservation walks in the area, glowworm grottoes and a night sky free from light pollution –great for star gazing and photography. There are also seven lakes around Moana that offer a range of views, activities and experiences from the tranquil to the adventurous.
The entry to the Brunner Mine site is easily spotted by the old Tyneside Chimney that makes an obvious landmark. The Brunner suspension footbridge spans the Grey River, linking both sides of the mine site; walk across the bridge to get good vantage points for your photographs.
SIDE TRIP - REEFTON
OLD-WORLD CHARM Head out of Westport on SH 7 for 81km and you’ll come to the town of Reefton. Famous for being the first place in New Zealand – and the southern hemisphere– to have a public supply of electricity, Reefton boasted the country’s first electric street lights.
Reefton has plenty of old-world charm. Sit down with the Bearded Miners who are well-known Reefton locals, and enjoy a yarn as they share stories from the region. Did you know the super rich Rothschild family bankrolled the gold mining here in the 19th century?
The Visitor Centre houses an impressive Quartzopolis Mine, a working winding engine and a gold-mine tunnel where visitors can step back in time.
The Reefton area boasts an impressive amount of activities for adventure seekers. There is an excellent range of mountain biking, kayaking, river rafting and 4WD tours.
Keep going on SH 7 to get to Springs Junction on the edge of Lewis Pass National Reserve and onwards to Christchurch.
Reefton Historic Court House
@ Adobe Stock
