“‘What do you fear, lady?’ he asked. ‘A cage’ she said. ‘To stay behind bars, until use and old age accept them, and all chance of doing great deeds is gone beyond recall or desire.’”
― The Lord of the Rings
The West Coast (Te Tai Poutini) is the most sparsely populated region of New Zealand, with a population of only 33 000 people. At the same time, it is the second-biggest region of the South Island. Yet it can get rather busy, with thousands of tourists taking the Haast Highway to visit various spots.
There are two main ways to enter the West Coast from the south: via Haast Pass or via Arthur's Pass. The first option was more convenient for my route, but it meant driving almost 300 km from Wānaka to Franz Josef. Due to the windy road, road works and many, many camper vans, it took me 6.5 hours (with a few breaks). I used that time to finally finish The Witcher audiobooks. I liked the saga, but the ending felt rushed, with plot-induced character derailment 🤔. At least I could now start listening to The Lord of the Rings audiobooks!
I have selected a few points of interest along the route. The first stop was a short hike to the Blue Pools. While the name once again shows a lack of creativity, it fits the visual appearance of the Blue River perfectly.
I've started hitting waterfall fatigue, but I visited two more. The Fantail Falls was rather quiet, with only a few people.
On the other hand, the Thunder Creek Falls was busy, with multiple tourist buses parked at the side of the road.
Once you clear an endless road lined with pine trees, you reach the actual coast of the West Coast. The Bruce Bay is a perfect opportunity for a break, with a small ice cream shop just next to the Māori Beach.
Due to my plans, I decided to stay in Franz Josef (Waiau). Only around 440 people live in this village, but up to 2000 tourists per day stay overnight.
I could finally see some keas, which freely roam the town. One of them approached me at arm's length.
Here's a short story with a happy ending.
My initial plan was to do ice climbing on the Franz Josef Glacier, which would have been a real highlight. Unfortunately, the tour had to be canceled due to low clouds. As a plan B, I booked a heli-hiking tour on the Fox Glacier, which — due to its lower altitude — allowed helicopters to land. I had some time to kill, so I headed over to Fox Glacier town and the Fox Glacier Viewpoint (Te Kopikopiko O Te Waka). I forgot my insect repellent, so I offered an all-you-can-eat buffet to the local sandflies.
I also did the short Minnehaha Walk.
The Fox Glacier heli-hike tour is well organized. After an instructional video, you put on some warm clothes and then a short helicopter flight follows.
After landing, you need to put on crampons to be able to walk on the ice. The groups are then split among the available spots, so you're not cramped together. We visited multiple sections, and we were able to drink some fresh glacier water, too. Overall, it was an amazing and memorable experience.
On my way to the next destination, I decided to have a small detour to Ōkārito. I booked a 2-hour kayaking tour, but we didn't reach the minimum number of people. Instead, I was upgraded to a 3-hour tour later that day.
The kayaking tour leads through the Ōkārito Lagoon and offers a good mix of kayaking and information about the local fauna and flora.
We spotted countless birds along the way.
I also did the short Pakihi walk, where I encountered the endemic South Island robin. This one was rather confiding and curious about my pie. After taking a few close pictures, I thanked him with a tiny piece of my pastry.
Hokitika, a former gold-mining town, is a popular tourist stop on the West Coast route. I was running short on time, but I did visit the lovely beach.
Greymouth is the biggest town in the West Coast region, with a population of only around 8 600 people.
As usual in New Zealand, the State Highway 6 offers many lookouts along the way. The one I liked the most was near the Strongman Mine Memorial. From here, you have a great view at some rock formations.
Below the lookout, some surfers are trying to catch a good wave.
I've also spotted a New Zealand bellbird nearby.
Just a few kilometers away, you can enjoy the Motukiekie Beach.
I couldn't stay too long, as I was heading to my next destination: the Pancake Rocks.
After my disappointment with the Moeraki Boulders, I kept my expectations low. However, this place is rightfully on every must-see list. It is quite touristy, but the area is relatively big, with multiple viewpoints, so it doesn't feel too crowded.
The main attraction are the Pancake Rocks themselves: a limestone formation with its distinct appearance.
Even more interesting are the blowholes, ejecting compressed air and water upwards.
At this point, most visitors get back to their cars and move to the next pin on their map. However, just a few minutes away, there is the freely accessible Punakaiki cavern. During my 15 minutes or so inside, I didn't encounter any other person. A head torch is recommended, but a phone light will probably be enough.
My next stop was Cape Foulwind.
You can walk along the coast to a lighthouse.
However, the main attraction is the nearby fur seal colony.
By spotting a Weka (Māori hen), I've checked off one more item from my "classic New Zealand birds" list.
My final stop was in Westport, the second-biggest town in the West Coast region. It has some charm, but it's not that interesting.
