Westport to Greymouth

Introducing Westport to Greymouth

SH6 along the surf-pounded coastline proffers fine Tasman Sea views; so fine that Lonely Planet’s Blue List dubbed the West Coast highway one of the planet’s 10 best road trips. Fill up in Westport if you’re low on petrol and cash – there’s no fuel until Runanga, 92km away, and the next ATM is in Greymouth. The main attractions along this stretch are the geologically fascinating Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki. To break the journey, consider the following.

Beaconstone (027 431 0491; www.beaconstone.co.nz; Birds Ferry Rd; dm/tw/d $28/64/64; Oct-May) is 17km south of Westport on 52 serene hectares. Solar power, an organic garden and energy-efficient appliances make a bold ecofriendly and sustainable statement. Beaconstone only has room for 12 guests so booking ahead is recommended.

Jack’s Gasthof (03-789 6501; jack.schubert@xtra.co.nz; SH6; sites $10, d $50; Oct-May) is 23km south of Westport on the Little Totara River. Laconic Jack swapped Berlin for this gentle spot more than 20 years ago. There are two cruisy doubles, and a pizzeria (mains $16-$30; 11am-late) serving pizzas made with organic veggies grown outside the door. Watch out for Jack’s huge (and hugely friendly) dog.

For a taste of the region’s old mining past, swing into Mitchell’s Gully Gold Mine (03-789 6553; www.mitchellsgullygoldmine.8m.com; SH6; adult/child $5/1; 9am-4pm), 22km south of Westport, with a tumbledown water wheel, old rail tracks and hillside tunnels (BYO torch).

Charleston, 28km south of Westport, boomed during the 1860s gold rush, with 80 hotels, three breweries, and hundreds of thirsty gold-diggers staking claims along the Nile River. The only pub left is the Charleston European Tavern (03-789 8862; SH6; mains $16-26; 9am-late), now doing double-duty as a café during the day and a boozer at night. It’s the base for underground, water-laden trips ­offered by Norwest Adventures.

Next door, the Charleston Motel (03-789 7599; www.charlestonmotel.co.nz; SH6; d $90-95) offers comfortable units just off the highway. Up the road, Pounamu Backpackers (03-789 8011; dm/s/d $23/28/56) has simple rooms in an old villa with comfy armchairs, and the adjoining Pounamu Gallery (10am-6pm) features local art and greenstone.

The broken coastline from Fox River to Runanga will remind Californians of Big Sur. Woodpecker Bay, Tiromoana, Punakaiki, Barrytown, Fourteen Mile, Motukiekie, Ten Mile, Nine Mile and Seven Mile are beaches sculpted by relentless ocean fury.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009