Why this ride
A one-way ride of 304 km, Westport to Hokitika - roughly 4 h 10 in the saddle. A steady touring day rather than a sprint.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
West Coast Glacier Highway: Westport to Hokitika
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 304 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 10
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: planning record, not independently verified geometry.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distances and riding times are planning figures. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Westport
Westport sits at the mouth of the Buller River on the north end of New Zealand's West Coast, a working town that grew up on coal and gold. The Māori knew the river as Kawatiri, and European settlers arrived in the 1860s when gold was found upstream, then stayed for the coal dug from the high plateau at Denniston, whose steep incline railway was one of the engineering marvels of its day. The coal trade still shapes the town, and the harbour and the long quay give it a plain, practical character that suits the coast.
Read the complete Westport write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Westport is where the day begins. Next is Punakaiki.
2. Punakaiki
Punakaiki sits on a short stretch of the West Coast where the Paparoa Range comes down almost to the sea, and the combination of green rainforest, limestone cliffs and Tasman breakers makes it one of the most photographed places on State Highway 6. The village itself is tiny, with a handful of cafes, a visitor centre and some accommodation, but it has one very big attraction, the Pancake Rocks, a set of limestone formations that look like piles of stacked pancakes, shaped over thousands of years from layers of soft and hard sediment eroded by sea and rain.
Read the complete Punakaiki write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Punakaiki comes up about 118 km into the recorded legs. Next is Hokitika.
3. Hokitika
Hokitika is the greenstone town. Pounamu, the New Zealand jade that Māori have carved into tools, weapons and ornaments for centuries, is found in the rivers of the West Coast, and the workshops along Hokitika's main street cut and polish it into pendants and sculptures.
Read the complete Hokitika write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
The route ends here after 304 km.
Leg by leg
Westport to Punakaiki
Westport → Punakaiki is 118 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Punakaiki to Hokitika
Punakaiki → Hokitika is 186 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- West Coast Glacier Highway: Westport to Franz Josef · 553 km
- Arthur Pass Highway · 243 km
- West Coast Glacier Highway · 419 km