West Coast Glacier Highway (735 km)
Westport to Haast · one way, about 735 km back to the start
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Why this ride
From Westport it runs 735 km to the finish; allow about 9 h 55 of riding. The stops in between: Punakaiki, Hokitika, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier. The highest point is about 1,200 m. It suits an unhurried touring pace.
Roadbook
- Westport
start
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.
Westport is also where the drama of the coast begins. To the west the road runs out to Cape Foulwind, a headland with a walkway and a New Zealand fur seal colony, and the name is a reminder of Captain Cook's bad weather in 1770. South of the town the highway squeezes between the Tasman Sea and the forested hills, passes the cliffs of the Paparoa range, and arrives at Punakaiki, where the Pancake Rocks, layered limestone stacks, blow spray through blowholes on a rising tide. From here the road continues toward Greymouth and the glaciers further south, about a hundred kilometres to the next big town.
The riding is superb but demanding. The highway has long coastal stretches with surf crashing on one side and rainforest on the other, interrupted by narrow one-lane bridges and tight bends, and the West Coast is one of the wettest parts of the country, so be ready for rain and slippery paint on the road. Sandflies at every stop are the other local feature, and a long-sleeved jacket and a bit of repellent help. On a clear day you can see the Southern Alps rise white in the distance.
Fuel and food are easy in Westport itself, and you should fill up properly before you leave because stations thin out on the road south. The coast road is quiet in winter, though cold and wet, and best from late spring to autumn. Order a plate of whitebait fritters if the season is right, as the Coast has a long tradition of them.
- Punakaiki
scenic
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.
The rocks are the best known feature, and the blowholes beside them are even more dramatic. When a big swell comes in at high tide, the sea forces itself into the caves under the rocks and shoots up through vertical shafts in a roar of spray and thunder, and a short boardwalk lets you stand beside them. Check the tide tables, since a low tide in a calm sea makes the show a little disappointing. The nikau palms, which are New Zealand's only native palm, grow in the forest here, giving the scene a surprisingly subtropical look.
The riding on this section of SH6 is a pleasure. The road follows the coast with long open bends, glimpses of surf, rocky headlands and thick bush, and it is mostly well surfaced, with a few narrow one-lane bridges where you give way. Traffic is steady in summer, but the road is wide enough for a bike. The weather is the main variable, because the West Coast is one of the wettest parts of the country and rain can come in sheets, followed by sunshine and a rainbow.
Fuel is not available in the village. Fill your tank at Greymouth, about forty-five kilometres to the south, or at Westport to the north, since the distances are long and the stations are few. Sandflies are a feature of the coast and you will want repellent. For a quieter visit, go early in the morning, before the coach groups arrive, or stay for the sunset, when the rocks glow orange and the sea turns to bronze.
- Hokitika
scenic
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.
The town has a rough-and-ready history. In the 1860s, gold drew thousands of diggers to the West Coast, and Hokitika became one of the busiest ports in the country, with dozens of ships crowded into the river mouth and many wrecked on the treacherous bar. The shops and hotels sprang up overnight, and the streets were full of miners, merchants and adventurers. Today the old buildings, some of them from that period, give the main street a faded charm. In March, the town hosts a wild food festival, where visitors eat anything from grubs to whitebait.
The ride along the West Coast is a long, rolling road. State Highway 6 runs between the sea and the mountains, with rainforest on one side and surf beaches on the other, and the surface is generally good, with occasional narrow bridges and tight bends. Rain is frequent, since this is one of the wettest regions in the country, and the clouds often hide the mountains. When the weather clears, the view is spectacular. Hokitika Gorge, a few kilometres inland, has water of an unreal turquoise colour, thanks to rock flour from the glaciers.
Fuel is easy in Hokitika, which has several stations, and cafes and restaurants serve fresh seafood and good coffee. Greymouth, thirty-odd kilometres north, is the larger town. After sunset, the glow-worm dell in the middle of town lights up in the damp, a small, free display. Carry waterproof gear, as showers are frequent, and apply insect repellent against sandflies. Evening on the beach, with driftwood and the sound of surf, makes a pleasant end.
- Franz Josef
scenic
The glacier is the reason for the village. Franz Josef, named in 1865 by the German geologist Julius von Haast after the Austrian emperor, flows from the high snowfields of the Southern Alps down a steep valley to within a few hundred metres of the rainforest, a rare sight at this latitude. The Māori name, Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, means the tears of the avalanche girl, and recalls a legend of a woman whose grief at the loss of her lover froze into the ice. The glacier has been retreating for years, and the walk to the terminal face grows longer.
The village itself is small, a cluster of motels, cafés and helicopter pads, set among tall rimu and kahikatea trees. Rain is the norm, often more than five metres a year, and the forest is lush, with ferns, moss and mist. When the clouds lift, the white mass of the glacier is visible above the trees, with peaks beyond. Walks to the glacier viewpoint are short, and guided heli-hikes take visitors onto the ice. Lake Mapourika, a few kilometres north, is a calm, deep lake with wonderful reflections on still mornings.
The ride on State Highway 6 here is fine, with long, sweeping views of mountains and sea, and short, tight bends through the forest. The surface is good, though wet in places, and many bridges are single-lane, so slow down and give way where signs require. Distances are long, and the weather changes quickly, so carry warm, waterproof layers. Early morning often has clearer skies, and the light on the peaks is lovely.
Fuel is the main practical concern. Pumps in the glacier villages are few, and may not be open at all hours, so top up in Hokitika or Haast and carry a margin. The sandflies are fierce, particularly around dawn and dusk, so bring repellent. Restaurants and cafés in the village are friendly, and book ahead in summer. The hot pools in the village are a pleasure after a day on the road.
- Fox Glacier
scenic
Fox Glacier is the small village below the glacier of the same name on the West Coast, where the Southern Alps drop more than three thousand metres in just a few dozen kilometres, and the climate is a wet and warm one. The glacier was named after William Fox, a premier of New Zealand in the 1870s, and it is one of the few in the world that comes down into temperate rainforest, so that a river of ice ends among tree ferns, which is a remarkable sight. A short walk from the car park takes you to the viewpoint, and the glacier has retreated considerably over the last century, so check where you can safely walk.
A few kilometres from the village lies Lake Matheson, a small lake whose still water reflects Aoraki Mount Cook and Mount Tasman on a calm morning, and the postcard shot of the two mountains upside down in the water is among the most famous in the country. Go at dawn if you want the reflection, because the wind often ruffles the surface later and the cloud usually closes in.
The riding on State Highway 6 here is a long, quiet series of bends through rainforest and past river flats, with glimpses of snow-capped peaks, and a real sense of being at the far edge of the island. The surface is generally good but wet, and the rain is heavy, often several metres a year. Plan for bad weather, wear waterproofs, and treat painted lines and bridge joints with respect when they are wet.
Fox Glacier has a petrol station, a few cafes, a supermarket and a number of lodges and campgrounds, and it is the last real service point for a long distance if you are heading south, with Haast about 120 kilometres away. Fill up here. Franz Josef, a larger village with similar services, is about twenty kilometres north. Sandflies are fierce, and an afternoon in the sun is not to be taken for granted, so enjoy the clear spells when they come. In the evening the clouds often lift and the peaks come out.
- Haast
finish
Haast is the last outpost before the wilderness. For decades, it was cut off by rivers and forest, and the road north to Fox Glacier was only completed in 1965, making it the last link in the West Coast highway.
The road from here, State Highway 6, runs in two directions, both superb. North, it follows the coast through rainforest, past lakes, beaches and viewpoints such as Knights Point, to Fox and Franz Josef glaciers, where the ice descends almost to the rainforest. East, it climbs through the valley of the Haast river to the Haast Pass, at 563 metres, a low crossing of the Alps, then drops to Makarora and the lakes of Wanaka and Hawea. The bends are long and flowing, the surface is good, and the scenery is among the finest in the world, with waterfalls, beech forest and mountains. Rain is heavy, up to several metres a year, so waterproofs are essential. Drive on the left, and watch for one-lane bridges.
The area is wild and wet. Mount Aspiring National Park lies inland, and the coast is part of the Te Wāhipounamu world heritage area. Sandflies are infamous, and a good repellent is worth buying. The beaches are littered with driftwood, and the air smells of salt and bush. Haast has a small museum, a few cafes and a visitor centre.
Fuel is available in Haast, but it is the only reliable place for many kilometres, so fill your tank, since the next stations are far to the north and east. Carry food for the road, as villages are small and cafes may close early.
Let the rain pass if it comes, and watch the clouds shift on the peaks. The mountains reveal themselves slowly.