West Coast, Walks & Parks

The seal colony is situated at Tauranga Bay 16 kilometres south of Westport. This is a breeding colony of New Zealand Fur Seals. The seals can be easily viewed at the end of an upgraded 10 minute track. Occasionally seals will climb the cliff and sit either on or near the walkway - please ensure you give them space as seals are wild creatures and should not be approached.

Just a short 15 min walk takes you to excellent views of the blue-green waters of the Hokitika River as it makes its way through the rock sided Hokitika Gorge - this short, easy walk is a great option for kids. From the car park, follow the walking track for a few minutes through dense podocarp/hardwood forest before emerging onto a viewing platform. From here you can look down to the stunning Hokitika Gorge and out to the lush farmland of Kowhitirangi. This part of the track is accessible for wheelchairs. From the viewing platform, continue for another 6 minutes along the curving boardwalks and you will reach a swing bridge. From here there are excellent views of the blue-green waters of the Hokitika River as it makes its way through the rock sided Hokitika Gorge. For good views further up the gorge, cross the swing bridge and when you come to the end of it turn left (straight ahead leads to private farmland). The track continues for another 200 m through the bush to another viewing platform with looking out to the gorge upstream of the bridge.

This delightful short walk (20mins) follows a stream through the rainforest - it's a great introduction to the forest for children with the added bonus of glow worms at night. It's suitable for wheelchairs and buggies. l short walk follows a small stream through the lush rainforest, and loops back to the start point via Te Weheka Walkway/Cycleway. Glow worms may be seen in the forest after dark - take a torch to find your way.

South of Fox Glacier township. Turn left before the bridge if you’re heading south or right after the bridge if you’re heading north towards the township. There’s ample carparking and if you don’t want to walk, a short stroll from your car will bring you to viewpoints of the Fox Glacier terminal. Otherwise there is an open and well-marked path that takes you very close to the face of the Glacier. Keep young children close as the path is uneven and rocky in parts, and there are a couple of stream crossings.

On State Highway 7, going inland from Greymouth, there’s a turnoff to Nelson Creek Recreation Reserve between Stillwater and Ahaura. There is a carpark and camping available, and a number of short bush tracks exploring the site of the 1865 Nelson Creek goldrush. Sluicing and dredging continued until 1900. Evidence of tailraces, tunnels, tailings, and a water race remain and the historic Colls Dam can be visited. Other features include a swing bridge and ancient beech forest.

Punakaiki Cavern. Take as long as you like to explore. Grab your torches and you can go way back into the depths. A wooden stairway gives access to 130 m of safe passages with a few stalactites and the odd glow worm. Plenty of fun for all ages, so long as a good torch (and preferably a spare) is carried. Access: Signposted beside the main road 500 m north of the visitor center at Punakaiki.

These short (2-15min)  forest walks lead to picnic areas, waterfalls and sandy beaches ideal for swimming - plenty to keep kids interested.  The beach at the end of Canoe Cove Walk and Dorothy Falls are spots for swimming. Dorothy Falls is refreshing but a little chilly!

Just outside of the Arthurs Pass village (on the West Coast side) are a number of reasonably short and easy walks, including the half hour track to the Devils Punchbowl Falls. A large bridge first takes you over the rocky river before the path winds up through the bush. The track is easy to follow and in good repair. Rocky in parts, some care needs to be taken as you clamber over tree roots, but much of the track has been set with board walk and steps. The bush scenery is lush and stunning, and as you arrive at the falls, a viewing platform gives you a good view of the Devil’s Punchbowl.

These short, easy walks feature limestone arches, caves with critters and a tarn with reflections of the surrounding rainforest - plenty to keep kids interested. Crazy Paving Cave (10 min return) take a torch and follow a short bush track to the cave entrance. Be extra careful not to step off the track and not to step on any of the large spiders that live in the cave.The unusual floor pattern was created over long period of time from deposits of mud which have dried out forming paving patterns on the cave floor. Take a look at the ceiling – another example of nature’s art. Box Canyon Cave (10 min return) At the end of the main track, carefully descend the steps to the cave. Explore its blocky recesses in complete freedom and take a hard look at the ceiling for fossils - look but don’t touch. Cave dwellers such as weta, spiders, and bettles live in the darkness. Have a look at these interesting insects, but be careful not to disturb them. Mirror Tarn (30 min) a sign points along a bush track toward this secretive spot. A pool full of dark water reflects tall trees and rich birdsong fills the air. Here you are called on to joyfully reflect on the foresight of a local bushman who noted the rimu trees around the tarn had been tagged for felling and his successful argument to have the beauty preserved. Oparara Arch (25 min, one way) From the first car park a well-formed track leads up the Oparara riverbank, through beech and podocarp forest and past limestone outcrops. The arch is 219 metres long with sides 79 metres apart and a roof 43 metres above the river that carved the impressive feature.

A coastal walkway taking in sweeping beach views, Ship Creek and views of New Zealand’s tallest tree, the Kahikatea. Carpark and picnic area with toilets are just off the main road. The name `Ship Creek’ has its origins in 1871 when a large fragment of a ship (of unusual wood construction never seen before in New Zealand) was discovered at the mouth of Tauperikaka Creek. Fragments of a ship were again found four years later. When pieced together, the wreckage suggested the bows of a stylish sailing ship. Additional hull pieces were seen in 1920. Then, in 1973, the remaining wreckage of the ship was found by divers – off the south-western coast of Victoria, Australia! The ship was identified (and confirmed by shipbuilders in Aberdeen Scotland) as Schomberg of the Black Ball line, wrecked on December 26, 1855 near the end of its maiden voyage from Liverpool to Melbourne. It was an unspectacular wreck, on the southern tip of Australia, from which over 300 passengers stepped safely ashore. More remarkable was that fragments of the ship were able to drift 2000 kilometres and wash up on a desolate New Zealand beach.

At Fox Glacier township, turn onto the Cook Flat road and drive for 5km, where you’ll see the turn off for Lake Matheson. The walk around Lake Matheson is best done at sunrise, and if the weather is clear and still, you will be rewarded with incredible reflections of Mount Cook. Any time of day, however, it’s a pleasant lakeside/ancient forest walk, with backdrop views of the Southern Alps, flanked by Aoraki/Mt Cook. Restaurant, toilets and carpark onsite.

This is an easy walkway that circles the Pancake Rock formations. A viewing highlight are the blowholes – the Chimney is a favourite. These are narrow cracks or holes that run from the sea right up through the rock. When the waves rush in, the water funnels up these holes and spurts from the top like steam from a train. Best viewing time for this phenomenon is at high tide, and/or in rough weather. You can find out tide and weather conditions from Punakaiki information centre.

This track ( 1hr, 3.5 km) follows a spectacular limestone gorge with two main features - a river with huge rocks in deep pools, and beautiful forest featuring subtle changes from sub-tropical to temperate. A 15 minute gentle stroll from the car park brings you to a seat and a lookout, with spectacular views of the river gorge with its magnificent limestone cliffs. From this point on, the track narrows and the gradients become a little steeper as the track continues for another 2.5km until it meets the Inland Pack Track. Five minutes beyond this junction the track leads to the riverbed, an ideal place for a rest before retracing your steps back to the car park. Access: From the carpark by the Pororari River bridge, 1km north of the Visitor Centre on SH6.