Places To Visit In West Coast

√ Paparoa National Park : - Explore the limestone caves and canyons located to the East of Hwy.6.

√ History House Museum : - The History House Museum has collected, preserved, interpreted and exhibited the human and natural history of the Greymouth district. The museum helps to tell stories relating to the local Indigenous culture, European and migration to the district and local industries including farming and timber.

√ Hokitika Glass Studio : - This gorgeous studio is filled with beautiful hand crafted glassware. This studio hosts some of the finest glassware in the world!!

√ Left Bank Art Gallery : - Located by the bank of the Grey River in the heart of Greymouth, The main Gallery and Vault spaces display regular exhibitions of contemporary New Zealand painting, prints, photography, sculpture and crafts with an emphasis on local content. Housed in a historic former Bank of New Zealand building, The Left Bank Art Gallery showcases the wealth of West Coast artistic talent. West Coast is filled up with attractions for the tourists and some of them include The Charleston Nile River Rainforest Train, New Zealand Ruby Rock Ltd, Shantytown, Coaltown Museum, and so on.

Activities :

√ Adventure Activities : - Tour operators in the West Coast offer white water rafting, underground cave rafting, jet boating, horse trekking, mountain biking, kayaking, caving and a range of other activities.

√ Heaphy Track in the Kahurangi National Park : - Visitors can enjoy one of New Zealand's 'Great Walks' as well as a range of shorter walking options.

√ Seal Colony : - Cape Foulwind near Westport has a seal colony viewing point accessible by short walk. The track is suitable for wheelchair acces.

√ Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and Blowholes : - The blowholes operate at high tide and are best on a blustery day when there are big seas.

√ Shantytown, 15 minutes South of Greymouth : - A replica pioneering town with steam train rides, a working gold claim where visitors can successfully pan for gold, as well as historic buildings including the local saloon, jail, church, hospital and school.

√ Blackball (30 minutes inland from Greymouth) : - Blackball is where the New Zealand Labour Party movement was founded. Visit the well known hotel 'Formerly the Blackball Hilton'.

√ Ross (30 minutes South of Hokitika) : - As well as being of historic interest, this goldmining town still has working goldmines. Visitors can do a local tour from the Ross Goldfields information centre.

√ White Heron Sanctuary, Whataroa : - Visit the only nesting colony of the white heron (kotuku) in New Zealand. The bird's breeding season is between October and March.

√ Coastal Okarito : - Observe the largest unmodified tidal inlet in New Zealand and a major feeding area for birds, with over 70 species recorded.

√ Franz Josef & Fox Glaciers : - Take a guided walk or helihike on to the glaciers.

Best Places to Visit :

The West Coast is described as one of the most beautiful regions in the South Island of New Zealand. Bounded by Kahurangi National Park to the north, and Mount Aspiring National Park to the south, the region has a 600km long coastline and lies in a narrow band between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea. It is a diverse, spectacular and dynamic setting - from rivers and mountain peaks to coastal wetland areas and wild coastlines. Nearly two million hectares of rainforest and bush is protected conservation land. About 32,000 people live in the towns, small settlements, rural areas and splendid remote places that are steeped in historical and cultural wonder. All of this provides tourists a lot of things to see and enjoy their trip along with getting fascinated.