New Zealand

South Island West Coast, Part 1

Hokitika Gorge

Part 1 you ask? Well... As I was putting this blog post together, I realized there is sooooo much stuff to see on the west coast of the South Island that I should split this post into two. So I will start from the northern end and work our way down. Part 2 will pick up in Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers and carry on down to Fiordland National Park.

Ariki Falls and Buller Gorge

Ariki Falls

We drove along Buller Gorge on our way from the Nelson area over to the west coast. John found this really cool Ariki Waterfall thanks to google while I was driving. The rock was pink and the water in the rapids and waterfall looked so blue. It was really pretty.

Ariki Falls

Cape Foulwind Seal Colony

Fur Seal Pup

Pair of Fur Seals greeting one another

Cape Foulwind is located in the Westport area on the west coast of the South Island and was named as such by Captain James Cook in 1770. He was reportedly blown off course by the westerly winds and so he named this location Cape Foulwind. Tauranga Bay has a lovely sandy beach with really cool rock outcroppings. There is a lighthouse located on the north end of a walking track with Tauranga Bay located at the south end of the walk. There is a carpark (parking lot) at Tauranga Bay which is where we parked with a very short walk to a NZ Fur Seal colony located on one of the rock outcroppings. Seal breeding season is November to February, during which you can see mama seals caring for their new pups in this colony. We had a long drive that day to get to our next location, so we chose not to do the longer walk (2.9 km one way) to save time.

Mom and pup snoozing on the rocks

Mom and fur seal pup

Fur Seal playing in the water

Cape Foulwind Rock Bird Sanctuary

Big beautiful beach at Tauranga Bay

Gorgeous sights along the west coast of the South Island

9 mile Creek

Fox River Beach

Natural Arch in Rocks at Rox River Beach

Scenic Overlook along the highway

Dolomite Point and Punakaiki Rocks

Punakaiki Rocks

Punakaiki Rocks, also known as pancake rocks, are in Paparoa National Park and are located on the west coast of the South Island between Cape Foulwind and Greymouth. The Punakaiki Rocks were formed 30 million years ago by sea sediment of ancient marine and plant life. The sediment was formed into rock by the immense pressure of the water above.

Punakaiki Rocks

In this region the rock formed layers of soft and hard rock. As seismic activity brought these layers of seabed to the surface, years of wind, acidic rain and seawater have eroded the softer rock forming the layering (or pancake) effect and created different shapes from archways, to pinnacles, to wavy channels that we see today.

Punakaiki Rocks

If you come at the right time of the day and tide, you can see spectacular blowholes (so I am told, as we did not see any).

Punakaiki Rocks

Hokitika

Hokitka Glowworm Dell

Check out my earlier post about Glowworms on the North Island from January 19, 2025 for more details on these curious creatures. The Hokitika Glowworm Dell is completely free and close to town so it is easy to get to. You should definitely check it out if you are in the area.

Hokitka Glowworm Dell

During the day, if you catch the light right, you can see the hammocks or beads on a string of the worms, but at night after dark, the worms glow due to bioluminescence.

Hokitka Glowworm Dell

Hokitika gorge

Hokitika Gorge Suspension Bridge

Dorothy Falls

Dorothy Falls is close to Hokitika Gorge and to Lake Kaniere.

Lake Kaniere

Arthur's Pass National Park

Arthrur's Pass National Park is a scenic area with a village and scenic pass through the mountain range on the South Island New Zealander's call the southern alps. We drove to Arthur's Pass Village and drove through the mountains. Arthur's Pass village is about 1hr15min from Hokitika from the west. You can also get to the pass from Christchurch from the east.

There is also a scenic train called the Tranz Alpine Railroad that connects between Christchurch in the east and Greymouth in the west. We will be taking this train later in our trip leaving from Christchurch.

While we were exploring the area around Arthur's Pass National Park we did a couple of hikes to waterfalls (surprise surprise we would find more waterfalls to visit). As we would not be getting off the Tranz Alpine Scenic Train when we do that excursion, we decided to check out these waterfalls.

Avalanche Creek Waterfall

Mountain Beech Forest

Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls (lower area of falls)

Devil's Punchbowl Falls with beautiful red flowering vines

Devil's Punchbowl Falls

We were pleasantly surprised when we stopped on the Viaduct overlook during our visit to Arthur's Pass NP. We expected to just see some long range views, but we were visited by the New Zealand Kea Bird which is a mountain parrot only found on the South Island. We first spotted one, then heard it singing to another. By the end of out time at this overlook, there were 5 Kea birds. They were so inquisitive and would come right up to people.

Kea

And then there were two...

Kea

Kea birds with their wings outstretched. They have such beautiful coloring of their feathers

Kea in flight

White Heron Sanctuary

On the way to the Great White Heron sanctuary, we got to see Mount Cook/Aoraki peak out over the hills and mountains. It often is obscured in the clouds so it was exciting to see it in all its glory from the west side.

Mt. Cook/Aoraki's snow capped peaks from the wetlands

Adult heron feeding two youngsters

We visited the only Great White Heron nesting site in all of New Zealand in Whataroa. As we have been reminded everywhere we go, New Zealand used to be teaming with birdlife. They do not have any native mammals themselves, except for bats. The europeans brought rats, opossums, and stoats on their ships when they landed in New Zealand to explore.

Adult heron flying away from their young who are acting up

These pests, rats, opossums, and stoats, eat the eggs of the birds. The loss of eggs due to the pests, along with habitat loss and over hunting have greatly reduced the New Zealand bird numbers to extinction or near extinction in some species. We have heard this over and over on the various tours we have taken. There is a concerted effort in many locations to remove these pests and protect the existing population in bird sanctuaries. The White Heron Sanctuary is the only nesting ground in New Zealand for these birds.

Two "teenage" great white herons

This year they had a new record of 59 nests. The population of Great White Herons has been severely dropping and the population was in serous jeopardy, but slowly each year the conservationists caring for and monitoring the nesting site has seen the number of nests and great white herons increase proving that their conservation practices are helping.

The Great White Herons return every year to this nesting ground and pick a mate for the season. They will lay anywhere from 1-3 eggs. Most heron pairs, however, cannot care for and feed three young and it is survival of the fittest to see which sibling will survive. Most nests end up with one young surviving, however, we witnessed at least two nests with two siblings surviving.

The parents raise their young for about 10-12 weeks, by then the young should have the ability to fly and forage for food on their own. They will make their way out into other areas of New Zealand until the age of 3, when they will return every year to the sanctuary to mate.

Adult heron parent feeding youngster

Adult white heron feeding a youngster

Royal Spoonbills

The royal spoonbills also nest in this same location, though they tend to nest higher in the trees than the Great White Heron. They have spoon shaped bill giving them their name. In the southern US, there are roseate spoonbills where the feathers have a pink hue. All the spoonbills in New Zealand are white, though. The Royal spoonbills can be found in many locations around New Zealand and Australia.

Spoonbill youngster wanting more food from mom or dad

This adult Royal Spoonbill still has the fancy plumage on his head from the mating season

Unique Trail

Okarito

Just a little way down the road from the White Heron Sanctuary, we stopped in the tiny little seaside town of Okarito, with 34 full time residents. We took the Okarito Eco Boat tour of the lagoon and Okarito River. The Okarito lagoon is a pretty large area with brackish water that swells several feet each day at high tide. The tide was low in the lagoon when we first left the beach, but was slowly filling while we made our way through the lagoon to the river. Because the lagoon is very shallow, at low tide a lot of the lagoon bottom is exposed which allowed to many wading birds to be seen on the flats.

Variable Oyster Catcher

There was a variety of wading birds present the morning we visited. We saw Variable Oyster Catchers, Pied and Variable Stilts, and Godwits. The Godwits, more specifically the Bar Tailed Godwits, fly all the way down to New Zealand from Alaska, a trip taking around 8-9 days. They fly direct from Alaska to New Zealand without stopping along the way to feed.

Pied Stilt

Black-winged Stilt

Godwit

Great White Heron

The Great White Heron can be found in the lagoon which is very close to their nesting grounds. They are very territorial birds and do not like to share their feeding areas, so are seen spread out around the lagoon.

Great White Heron

White-faced Heron

Little Black Shag

Pied Shag

Kereru or Wood Pigeon

Just by happen stance, there was a Kereru in a tree eating berries along the river during our tour.

This little snail came to visit us every morning just outside our airbnb!

Whataroa River

The Whataroa River has this aqua-blue color that was so beautiful. We stopped alongside the road near these really cool rapids in the river for pictures.

Whataroa River

Things in the northern west coast area that we enjoyed and would do again:

1. Punakaiki Rocks

2. Hokitika Gorge trail

3. Arthur's Pass

4. Seal Colony at Cape Faulwinds

Additional Costs (in NZD):

White Heron Sanctuary Tour - $150pp

Okarita Eco Boat Tour - $120pp

Coming soon...

South Island West Coast, Part 2

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South Island West Coast, Part 1

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