West Coast NZ – one of our favorite stretches of our South Island New Zealand road trip! This West Coast NZ road trip itinerary covers stops from Hokitika to the Blue Pools near Queenstown and Wanaka.
Related Post: 5 Day New Zealand South Island Itinerary
West Coast NZ – Airbnb
We chose to rent a car and stay in Airbnbs on our West Coast NZ road trip. While here, we stayed at this Airbnb – a unique glamping tent right on the coast of the Tasman Sea! It’s literally right in someone’s backyard, but the hosts are amazing and the bathroom facilities are just for guests and sparkling clean. We enjoyed our night exploring the beach with a few brews.
West Coast NZ – Things to do
Hokitika Gorge
One of the most unique stops in all of West Coast NZ is Hokitika Gorge – I’ve never seen anything like it! The most gorgeous blue water with suspension bridges, rocks to climb on, and a little beach offering easy access to the water. Only a few people were here exploring the area and it’s a short, easy walk to access the gorge. A must see!
Hokitika Beach
When in Hokitika, make sure to make a stop at the famous Hokitika driftwood sign. After seeing pictures of this while prepping for our trip, I was so surprised how huge it is! Snap a few photos, take a walk along the beach and admire the cool driftwood.
Woodstock Brewing Co
For an authentic West Coast NZ meal, check out Woodstock Brewing Co. Located right outside of Hokitika this little restaurant and bar is filled with travelers and locals alike. We sat outside, tried some of the beer that’s brewed in house, and admired the sheep grazing across the road.
Franz Josef Glacier
We had great plans to hike to Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier while on the West Coast NZ, but a rainy and cloudy few days made us plan otherwise. We tried our best to hike to Franz Josef Glacier, but only made it about halfway until people told us you couldn’t even see the glacier at the end of the hike. Instead, we took in the beautiful waterfalls along the way. The hike is an easy one (at least as far as we made it) but it does bring you along a rocky riverbed. Plan for 1.5 hours round trip for this hike.
Ship Creek
After driving for a while and having to skip some of our planned stops because of the pouring rain and fog, we stopped at Ship Creek to stretch our legs. Ship Creek is a beautiful spot right along the coast, offering a quick 1 km long boardwalk trail through tropical flora.
Fantail Falls
The drive from the West Coast NZ into the Queenstown and Wanaka area is so pretty. The mountains start rising above you and you can basically stop every few miles for an amazing view. We pulled over for Fantail Falls and loved exploring the riverbed. Beautiful!
Blue Pools
A stop at the Blue Pools means you’re getting away from the West Coast NZ and into Queenstown/Wanaka territory. We visited on a cloudy day and found that the pools weren’t as blue as the water at Hokitika Gorge but it was still fun to explore with not one but two suspension bridges! Definitely visit on a sunny day if you have the time. If you’re coming from the west coast and want a quicker hike, make sure to drive past the first big parking lot to the small lot along the road.
As you can see, we didn’t have the most ideal weather, but everything was still gorgeous! Enjoy your time in New Zealand, rain or shine! 🙂
