Hokitika Gorge

Morning

Explore downtown Hokitika, visit the many arts and crafts shop/studios/factories, exhibiting local artist's works. Hokitika is the natural home of Greenstone (New Zealand.jade).

Explore the West Coast Historical Museum - a social and historical museum with displays of Westland's past. An audio visual program is shown several times daily and depicts Hokitika and nearby areas during the gold rush and busy seaport days. Also, try your hand at gold panning.

Visit Westland's Water Worlds, an indoor marine aquarium. Watch the diver feeding sharks and some of the world's largest long fin eels. Catch a salmon and have it prepared for eating at a local restaurant.

Self Guided Heritage Walk - pick up brochures from the visitor Information Centre or West Coast Historical Museum. Approximately one hour duration.

Lake Mahinapua

Afternoon

Follow State Highway 6 south over the Hokitika River Bridge and visit the Lake Mahinapua Hotel, a favourite with visitors and locals alike. A short distance from the lake entrance.

Lake Mahinapua - 10 kms south of Hokitika.

A beautiful lake popular for yachting, swimming and picnicking or take one of the short bush walks. Also, there is a display of an early lake steamer.

Cruise the tranquil Mahinapua Creek into Lake Mahinapua aboard the Takutai Belle Paddleboat. Departs 6kms south of Hokitika on State Highway 6.

Continue south to State Highway 6 turn-off, (signposted Rimu/Woodstock) and you can return to Hokitika via Rimu, Woodstock and Kaniere.

Evening

Dorothy Falls

Visit after dark - Glow Worm Dell - northern entrances to Hokitika on State Highway 6 .The dell is open free of charge.

Other Options

Lake Kaniere (20kms east)/Hokitika Gorge (33km east)

Scenic round the lake trip, approximately 64kms featuring Dorothy Falls and walks in Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve. Lake Kaniere is a popular summer spot for water skiing, swimming, picnicking, fishing and recreational camping.

Travelling through to the kokatahi and Kowhitirangi dairy framing valleys gives another view of what is between the Tasman Sea and Southern Alps. At the Hokitika Gorge, a well signposted track takes you across the swing bridge and up the Hokitika River. Detailed information on 1 to 3 day tramps to destinations such as Grass Flats, Cedar Flat, and Mt Brown are available from the Department of Conservation in Sewell Street, Hokitika.

Goldsborough Walkway

Goldsborough

Hire a gold pan and spend the day fossicking in recreational panning areas such as Goldsborough in the Waimea Forest. In its heyday, the mid 1860's Goldsborough had 2,000 miners in the area, with a total in the vicinity of 5000 miners throughout the Stafford/Callaghans/German Gully and Foxes areas - extending over 40 square kilometres.

Ross Goldfields Visitors Centre - 30km south of Hokitika

Photographs, models, displays and video of the ross goldmining methods from 19th Century, gold panning and guided tours, (maps showing the track routes and any further information required).

Also home of the heaviest gold nugget found New Zealand - the "Hon Roddy Nugget", weighing 99oz., found in 1909. the reconstructed miner's cottage now houses many displays and information. Try your hand at gold panning - you won't be disappointed.

Visitors may see through the Fur Trading Post - possum fur product (toys, garments, rugs, etc) which can be can be bought from the premises.

North of Hokitika

Pancake Rocks and Blowholes

Pancake Rocks and Blowholes

Magnificent coastal scenery is evident along this drive to Punakaiki and the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. Mysterious limestone rock formations and groves of Nikau Palms line the roadside north. Walk out to Dolomite Point to watch the blowholes (best at high tide) or follow Truman's Track to its dramatic cliff to conclusion and explore the beachside caves variously inhabited by Maori traders and conscientious objectors (best at low tide)

Shantytown

The search for gold continues today, and the history of those early years is always close by. That history comes alive at Shantytown, a recreation of and early gold mining township situated near the site of an old gold claim, and complete with livery stables, blacksmith, fire station, hospital, printing works, shop, banks, saloon, gaol, working sawmill and more.