About Hokitika
Hokitika is situated on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, beside the Tasman Sea with a view to Mount Cook and the Southern Alps. Hokitika is the gateway to the South Westland World Heritage National Park.
Our West Coast rainfall is legendary averaging around 2783mm per year, without it we would not be able to enjoy the wild unspoiled beauty of our rain forests. However, we also have a temperate climate ranging from 12 degrees in winter to 24 degrees in summer and our annual sunshine hour's average 1850 (equal to Queenstown and greater than Auckland).
Hokitika has a romantic and colourful history. Settled in the 1860's after the discovery of gold, Hokitika soon developed into one of the busiest ports in New Zealand. Literally thousands of miners converged on Hokitika en route to seek their fortune. As time went by and gold returns diminished settlers turned to timber milling and farming which today along with tourism provide for the regions economy. Modern technology over the decades has seen a modern day gold rush takes place and visitors can see numerous gold claims working and producing that magical metal.
The wide-open streets, variety of shops and friendly open people of Hokitika encourage and enable the visitor to relax. In the evening a visit to any of the five hotels within a 400 metres radius of the town clock or a stroll to the river mouth to watch local anglers fishing for Kawhai, Trout and Salmon during the warm summer months is a pleasant way to end the activities.
Several shops in Hokitika sell expertly crafted greenstone jewellery and sculptures. The region is also popular with other craftspeople, including gold jewellers, wood turners and potters.
Close to Hokitika are two beautiful lakes. To the East Lake Kaniere are a placid lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains and a favorite place for boating, water skiing, picnics and swimming. To the South Lake Mahinapua, surrounded by bushland, is ideal for sailing and canoeing.
Pounamu or greenstone as it is more commonly known holds a high profile in Hokitika. The Arahura River, which enters the sea 8 kilometres (5 miles) north of Hokitika, is a traditional source of pounamu (greenstone) for the Maori people and still yields a large proportion of the Coast's continuing supply. Today it is handcrafted into a diverse range of high quality jewellery and carvings.
Most attractions for the visitor are based on historical and natural resources. Within Hokitika it is possible to watch pounamu carvers and gold craftsmen at work, glass blowing and glass lace creation can be seen in the towns glass blowing studio. A visit to the Museum is a must along with a nighttime stroll to the GlowWorm Dell where it is possible to see these unique creatures from a distance of only a few metres.
A number of Hokitika residents proud of the town's history have joined together under the banner of Heritage Hokitika to re-create a historic port area. This development has already seen the relocation of the original Customs House Building to the site of the former wharf area. An historic walk has been created a life size replica of a trading boat built and small section of the old wharf rebuilt.