28 Activities
West Coast Wilderness: Nelson to Haast, South Island, New Zealand
Starts from
Nelson
Transportation
By Car
Guidance
Self-Guided
Activities
28
Duration
4 days
Length
553 mi
Guide details
Starts from
Nelson
Transportation
By Car
Guidance
Self-Guided
Duration
4 days
Length
553 mi
Elen Turner
Travel Expert
- Walk to a seal colony near Westport.
- Marvel at 30-million-year-old rock formations at Punakaiki.
- Sample beer and eat a hearty meal at Greymouth's Monteith's Brewery.
- Take a walk through the treetops near Hokitika.
- Glimpse frozen rivers of ice at Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers.
- Reach the end of the road at the Haast UNESCO World Heritage Area.
Starting in Nelson, at the top of the South Island, you'll travel south-west along the rugged West Coast. Littered with old gold and coal mining relics, dotted with lakes, criss-crossed with short walking trails, and with show-stopping attractions like the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, and the Haast UNESCO World Heritage area, this four-day road trip down the West Coast offers wild landscapes and back-to-nature experiences at every turn.
After day four you have a few options: return the way you came; cross the Haast Pass, which will take you to Wanaka and Queenstown in Central Otago; or backtrack part of the way to Greymouth and drive (or take the TranzAlpine train) over Arthur's Pass to the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch beyond.
After day four you have a few options: return the way you came; cross the Haast Pass, which will take you to Wanaka and Queenstown in Central Otago; or backtrack part of the way to Greymouth and drive (or take the TranzAlpine train) over Arthur's Pass to the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch beyond.
Starting in Nelson, at the top of the South Island, you'll travel south-west along the rugged West Coast. Littered with old gold and coal mining relics, dotted with lakes, criss-crossed with short walking trails, and with show-stopping attractions like the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, and the Haast UNESCO World Heritage area, this four-day road trip down the West Coast offers wild landscapes and back-to-nature experiences at every turn.
After day four you have a few options: return the way you came; cross the Haast Pass, which will take you to Wanaka and Queenstown in Central Otago; or backtrack part of the way to Greymouth and drive (or take the TranzAlpine train) over Arthur's Pass to the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch beyond.
After day four you have a few options: return the way you came; cross the Haast Pass, which will take you to Wanaka and Queenstown in Central Otago; or backtrack part of the way to Greymouth and drive (or take the TranzAlpine train) over Arthur's Pass to the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch beyond.
Elen Turner
Travel Expert
- Walk to a seal colony near Westport.
- Marvel at 30-million-year-old rock formations at Punakaiki.
- Sample beer and eat a hearty meal at Greymouth's Monteith's Brewery.
- Take a walk through the treetops near Hokitika.
- Glimpse frozen rivers of ice at Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers.
- Reach the end of the road at the Haast UNESCO World Heritage Area.
Travel itinerary
11 Activities
Day 1
207 mi
West Coast Wilderness
Starting in Nelson, at the top of the South Island, you'll travel south-west along the rugged West Coast. Littered with old gold and coal mining relics, dotted with lakes, and and with show-stopping attractions like the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers, and the Haast UNESCO World Heritage area, this four-day road trip down the West Coast offers wild landscapes at every turn.
After day four you have a few options: return the way you came; cross the Haast Pass, which will take you to Wanaka and Queenstown; or backtrack part of the way to Greymouth and drive (or take the TranzAlpine train) over Arthur's Pass to the Canterbury Plains and Christchurch beyond.
22:00
7 Activities
Day 2
109 mi
Westport to Greymouth via Punakaiki
The West Coast is a diverse region and your drive on day two will take you along some of the most photogenic stretches of the road. Luckily, there are many places to pull over and take photos of the views across rocky cliffs, frothing surf, and the wide expanse of the Tasman Sea beyond.
22:00
5 Activities
Day 3
112 mi
Greymouth to Franz Josef via Hokitika
Today is quite a long day of driving, but after the cliffy twists and turns of day two and the gorge roads of day one, the straight, fast roads most of the way south from here mean you can cover a lot of ground in relatively less time. Time your day to stop in Hokitika for brunch or lunch. Hokitika is about 30 minutes' drive south of Greymouth.
22:00
5 Activities
Day 4
124 mi
Franz Josef to Haast
This final day of the road trip will take you past another glacier and down to one of the most remote towns in New Zealand: Haast, in the Haast UNESCO World Heritage area.
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