Te Tai Poutini West Coast

The rise of a resourceful nation

Treasure seeker towns, snowcapped views and an ancient lagoon are just some of the must-dos you’ll find in our Te Tai Poutini West Coast itinerary.

Explore abandoned mines, discover the Te Ao Māori creation story of Te Wai Pounamu and soak up the history in charming West Coast towns as you visit Tohu Whenua in this region.

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Denniston Mine

Once a leading coal mining town, Denniston sits high on the edge of a steep incline railway once described as the 8th wonder of the world. A town of extremes, workers mined the highest quality coal but families suffered the lowest living conditions.

Historic Reefton

Nicknamed Quartzopolis and the Town of Light, Reefton was the booming commercial centre of quartz reef gold mining and the first place in the southern hemisphere to supply electric street lighting.

Waiuta

Waiuta was the location of the third biggest mine in New Zealand and the largest producer of gold on the West Coast. Its mines produced nearly 750,000 ounces of gold, which today would be worth $1.6 billion.

Brunner Mine

An event that shook the nation, Brunner Mine pays homage to New Zealand's worst ever workplace disaster, which ultimately sparked West Coast unionism and better safety legislation.

Hokitika Port, Commercial and Government Centre

Hokitika first drew Māori for its rich source of pounamu, and later became the most valued port of the West Coast gold rush era.

Ōkārito

A place of harvest, conservation and goldrush, Ōkārito is rich in taonga and home to Te Tai Poutini West Coast's oldest known building and the ancient Ōkārito lagoon.

Te Kopikopiko o te Waka

With panoramic views of Kā Tiritiri o te Moana/The Southern Alps and a great vantage for Te Weheka/Fox Glacier, Te Kopikopiko o te Waka tells the important celestial story of how Te Wai Pounamu/the South Island came to be.

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