explore the West Coast.
real West Coast Visitor and Travel Information.

The West Coast is divided into three Districts. These are from north to south,

the Buller District - the Grey District - the Westland District

ANNIVERSARY DAY:

Monday 28 November 2011.
Monday 3rd of December 2012
Monday 2nd of December 2013.

Westland Anniversay Day is always the Monday closest to the 1st of December
(not the first Monday in December as often displayed on calendars).

Driving into the Buller from any direction brings you along one of the must do Scenic Drives of New Zealand, the Buller Gorge Road, from Murchison in the Tasman District to Westport the Buller Districts largest town, or along the Scenic Coast Road from Greymouth through Punakaiki to Westport.

Travelling from the east, Reefton the town of light and Coast's only inland town, greets you at the Western edge of the District.

Like most of the Coast, sparsely populated by Maori, with the discovery of Gold in the mid to late 1860's the influx of nations began. Then, Buller like the Coast, boasted of many settlements numbering in the thousands. Soon however gold became coal and then timber. Today the Buller Districts main industrys are centered around agriculture, tourism, mining, fishing and service industries.

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The Grey District stretches from the southern banks of the Punakaiki River in the north, south east to Mount Anderson, north to The Pinacle and then south east to Craigeburn and Mount Barron, before heading south west to Jacksons and following the Taramakau River to the Tasman.

The smallest region geographically, the District is the central hub and commercial center of the West Coast region and home to our largest town Greymouth and largest Lake, Lake Brunner.

Rich in history and character the key industries are tourism, mining, agriculture, fishing, manufacturing and services industries. The main hospital for the West Coast is also in Greymouth.

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The southern district is also the largest geographically and home to the world famous Fox and Franz Josef/Waiau Glaciers.

Hokitika is the largest town and arguably the prettiest. Here you can see first hand our National icon, the Kiwi and the last Dinosaur our Tuatara lizard at the National Kiwi Center.

Surrounded by lakes, mountains and deep green forests Hokitika like the entire Coast is a truly unique part of the world. A must stop must see place for all visitors to New Zealand and all New Zealanders.

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