Striking gold on the West Coast _{by Harry Bartle}

West Coast (Summer 2022)

The moment my partner Amy and I landed in Westport for the beginning of our four-day adventure on the West Coast, it became pretty clear the type of people we were going to encounter along the way. We were met with a huge smile and a massive “Welcome to Westport” from our friendly Sounds Air baggage handler and the stunning weather matched his joy. After avoiding all the problems one has to deal with at a big airport and an “Enjoy your trip” on our way out, we headed off to our first stop – the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks.

Half the fun of our entire holiday on the West Coast was the driving. Even on the 45-minute journey from Westport to Punakaiki, we stopped three times to take in the natural wilderness that surrounded us. The Tasman Sea and its waves are literally just metres away from the road in some areas, while lush native bush, steep cliffs, and towering mountains are everywhere to be seen – Mother Nature really put some thought into this part of Aotearoa.

The Pancake Rocks lived up to their name. We only needed to walk along the well-kept path for about five minutes before we heard the powerful sounds of blowholes and surge pools. We spent far longer than we thought watching as water sprayed out of holes in the cliffs and the layered limestone ‘pancake’ rocks, formed 30 million years ago by immense water pressure, were fascinating up close.

After a quick coffee and homemade steak-and-cheese pie at the cosy Pancake Rocks Café (we sadly didn’t have time for their famous pancakes), we hopped in the car and headed 40-minutes down the road to Shantytown Heritage Park.

Built with such incredible detail, you could easily spend a whole day exploring this recreated 1860s gold-rush village. From Hannahs Shoe Shop to Rewa Hospital, Amy and I made sure to pop our heads into every replica building. She even locked me up in Shantytown Jail while I was reading about some notorious West Coast criminals! After I escaped, we went to do the onsite gold panning. Known as ‘Little John’, our panning expert did a fantastic job showing us the ropes. Amy and I were so excited to see the little flicks of real West Coast gold at the bottom of our pans that we gave it another go straight away. We did some more exploring and shared a drink at Shantytown’s Golden Nugget Hotel before our next destination, Hokitika.

You know you’re staying somewhere cool when your new backyard is somewhere like Hokitika Beach. Set up at the Beachfront Hotel, we took advantage of our prime location by taking in the stunning sunset on a walk on the sand. Of course, we were greeted by a smile and hello from almost everyone enjoying the view.

We headed over to Bonz ‘N’ Stonz carving studio the next morning. The laid-back workshop was less structured than we anticipated. It was really unique putting my badly drawn design down on paper, picking a big piece of broken jade, and carving, sanding, and polishing it to create a finished necklace I could take home. I spun a few yarns with our laid-back master carver Steve – who I often let down with my lack of carving ability – and with his help, the finished product was something I was quite proud of.

We had been told by some locals to grab our lunch from The Hokitika Sandwich Company. With a line almost out the door, we had to wait a little while to get our fresh chicken sandwiches, but wow were they worth it.

No visit to Hokitika is complete without a stop-off at Hokitika Gorge. In true West Coast style, a few drops of rain started to fall as we walked through the rimu forest, but Amy and I agreed it only added to the tranquil aesthetic. The gorge’s pristine blue water was like something out of a fairytale and it was amazing to see the work the Department of Conservation (DoC) has put into the new looping walkway that features two massive swing bridges. Halfway around the loop we took the chance to climb down some steps to the water’s edge to skip some stones (I beat Amy). It was also nice to see that DoC hasn’t blocked off access to some of the rocks and massive boulders near the water – the perfect location for us to snap a pic.

Korath Tahi was just a two-minute walk from our hotel back in Hokitika. We were soon enjoying a delicious green curry, pad Thai, chicken satay, and roti for dinner. The two of us decided to put our feet up in the evening as we had another big day ahead of us.

Our next morning began with a peaceful walk around the West Coast Treetop Walk. Just when we thought the region couldn’t get any more beautiful, we found ourselves 20 metres off the ground in an ancient rimu and kamahi tree canopy experiencing life with fantails and kererū. Halfway along the 45-minute stroll, the view from the 47-metre-tall Hokitika Tower was a highlight and I really liked how much information was available to read about the surrounding land, forests, lakes, and native animals. It only felt right to treat ourselves to a coffee and a piece of ginger slice at the neighbouring Mahinapua Café before we left.

We arrived in the small gold rush town of Reefton an hour before our next activity. This gave us plenty of time to explore what was the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to get electricity. Feeling like true Reefton locals, we got stuck into some hot chips and a milkshake each at the local fish ‘n’ chip shop. With a bit more time on our hands and inspired by our panning success at Shantytown, Amy walked down to the Inangahua River, which runs alongside Reefton, certain she was “going to find gold”. With no pan and (sorry Amy!) not much skill, she unfortunately came back empty handed… “this time”.

For the next few hours we were treated to a wonderful tour of Reefton Distilling and Co. where things kicked off with a lovely chat with founder and chief executive Patsy about her award-winning distillery. I could feel the passion she has for not just making great gin, but also supporting her town and the surrounding communities through everything the company does. Her husband Shane then hosted a fun taste session with us where he talked about the local botanicals and ingredients Reefton Distilling and Co. use. Their Little Biddy Hazy Spiced Apple Gin was so good, we bought a bottle right then and there. Finally, Patsy took us down the road to check out their massive new factory that’s about to open for public tours. With huge stills and plenty of machinery already inside and a lush garden on the way, it will be an incredible asset for Reefton when it’s done.

The drive from Reefton to Westport took us through the mighty Buller Gorge. The vast river combined with the bush-clad cliffs and twisty road made for a terrific scenic drive. Camera in hand, we stopped on the side of the road to take in the wild and insanely picturesque river valley.

At around 6pm we checked into the homely Westport Bella Vista and decided to go for a walk to find our dinner. Our evening stroll didn’t last long as we were soon demolishing some BBQ pork ribs at the Denniston Dog Café & Bar just down the road – comfort food is at its best on the West Coast.

Blessed with fantastic weather throughout, we finally woke up to some West Coast clouds on the last day of our adventure – it was only right! Our car ride to the historic mining town of Denniston included a wrong turn by yours truly where we ended up down a dirt road with nothing but a dead end and an “Is this it?” from Amy. However, we were soon back on track and when we did eventually pull up to the real Denniston, the two of us were blown away by what we saw. A real coal mining town in the late 1800s, Denniston is best described as an outdoor museum. Filled with rusty buildings, bricks, mining carts, railroads, and machinery, it was so cool to be able to touch and read about what was left behind when the town was abandoned all those years ago. 500 metres above sea level, the remains of the incredible 1670-metre incline railway used to send coal up and down the mountain only just outshined the coastal views below.

Our final destination was Cape Foulwind, where one of New Zealand’s most accessible seal colonies can be found on the edge of Tauranga Bay. We were super excited when we spotted the first seal after our 10-minute walk up the signed path. Only a few steps later and there were 20 to 30 of them lying on the rocks below. We stood on a large viewing deck to see as many of the cute creatures as possible. Most of the larger seals were enjoying some relaxation time but a few of the pups were play fighting and galumphing around the rocks.

Like everything we had seen on our West Coast journey, a hidden gem like Cape Foulwind once again showed that the endless natural wonders are what make this place so special. It’s a ruggedly beautiful slice of New Zealand that’s filled with people who love to call it home. It’s safe to say this won’t be the last time Amy and I venture west… only this time we’ll remember to bring our own pan!