ROAD TRIP: A journey to Greymouth

Westport to Greymouth via SH 6 - 1hr 26min, 101km

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

Monteith’s Brewery © Fraser Clements

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

Cape Foulwind is a prominent headland south-west of Westport 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 great views of the rugged coastline and seals sunning themselves on the rocks. Look out for Hector’s dolphins sometimes seen around the point.

THE BALLROOM OVERHANG

A great half-day hike for a lunchtime picnic, The Ballroom Overhang is a large limestone outcrop about 500m upstream from the Fox River/Dilemma Creek confluence. The Ballroom is reached via the Inland Pack Track, starting from the car park at the mouth of the Fox River. 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 stalactites.

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.

Cape Foulwind © Getty Images

SPRINGS JUNCTION

A great stop off when traversing Lewis Pass is Springs Junction. Framed by forests and lakes, walks are plentiful here. The naturally heated Maruia Springs thermal pools are not too far away, either. Nestled in all-natural scenery, they’re hugely therapeutic.

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.

THE PAPAROA TRACK

This is the newest Great Walk in 25 years. From its 1930s miners hut to a 100-year-old quartz crushing battery, remnants of the past are frozen in time; none more poignant than the memorial site commemorating 29 lost lives of the Pike River explosions. The trail climbs steeply over 55km and three days.

SHANTYTOWN

Pan for gold, explore historical buildings and ride a steam train at this recreated 19th century gold-mining town.

Shantytown gold panning © Tourism West Coast

GREYMOUTH

Greymouth is the largest town on the West Coast and turnaround point for the TranzAlpine 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.

Greymouth Must-Do's

> Left Bank Art Gallery

> Shantytown

> Monteith’s Brewery

> Brunner Mine

> Forest walks

> Dixon Park

> The TranzAlpine

Considered the heart of the West Coast, Greymouth is rich in history, greenstone and gold.

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.

Shantytown © West Coast Tourism

SIDE TRIP: Moana and Lake Brunner

LAKES, MINES AND WALKS!

Head out from Greymouth on SH 7, turn right at Still water and drive until you come to Moana – a tiny settlement that is a stop on the famous TranzAlpine 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.

Coal was mined here from the 1860s, making this one of New Zealand’s earliest industrial sites. You can still see historic coke ovens, a brick factory and remains of tunnel entrances.

Stop for a moment at Stillwater to pay your respects to the 65 men who died in an explosion in the Brunner Mine in 1869.

Fishing, Lake Brunner © Tourism West Coast

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 Reefton 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 on one of the routes to Christchurch.

Artist, Alison Hale, Reefton © West Coast Tourism

Main Image: Pancake Rocks, Punakāiki © West Coast Tourism

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