West Coast Attractions

The West Coast or Westland region extends for more than 500km along the west coast of the South Island, from Jackson Bay and the Haast River in the south to Karamea in the north. It is a narrow coastal belt of dense rain forest backed inland by high mountains that is nowhere more than 50km wide. The region has a population of only 35,000, which has been steadily declining for many years.

The principal towns in the region are Graymouth, Westport and Hokitika. It has many relics of the pioneer days of loggers and gold miners - although the infrastructure has been much improved since then by the building of roads.

Discovery

Abel Tasman and Captain Cook sailed along this inhospitable coast, and the hinterland was later explored by Thomas Brunner and Julius von Haast, who discovered the region's extensive coalfields.