In May 2021 we visited Hokitika and spent a few days exploring Hokitika, Greymouth and Arthur's Pass. We took a walk around Lake Mahinapua, Lake Kaniere and the spectacular Hokitika Gorge. In Greymouth we watched people body surfing in the breakers off the Grey River Mouth, walked down to the Coal Creek Falls then visited the Brunner Mine Historic Area and Nelson Creek Recreation Reserve. Then it was off to Arthur's Pass where the weather didn’t quite play the part so we only managed a very soggy walk up to the Devils Punchbowl and back to Christchurch.
There’s miles of rugged west coast beach to walk along and the Hokitika beach front often hosts beach art competitions and other weekend activities. Hokitika township is also interesting with a number of tourist shops selling pounamu (jade or greenstone) where you can watch the carvers at work.
Nelson Creek Recreation Reserve is a great campground area about 35 minutes out of Greymouth on Highway 7. Turn off at Naghere and follow the road for about 6 minutes. It offers a number of short walks through the old gold mining area rushed in 1865. Lots of fun for the kids walking through the short tunnel to the historic suspension bridge originally built in 1872 and rebuilt a couple of times since then. Some of the old mining equipment still remains in the area. The main method of extracting what little gold there was in the area was done by ground sluicing and there are some deep water races throughout the beech forest so take care and keep to the trails.
Lake Kaniere is about 20 minutes out of Hokitika and well worth the drive either as a trip on its own or part of a loop to the Hokitika Gorge. Lake Kaniere is 8 km long (just shy of five miles), 2 km wide and as deep 195m (640ft) in places. The reserve is over 7000ha and offers camping and several short and long walks. The road turns to gravel just past the Hans Bay Camping area but in dry weather is easily doable in a two wheel drive car at least to Dorothy Falls.
Edited using Shotcut: [ Ссылка ]
Intro Music is Happy Rock by Bensound: www.Bensound.com
Other Music:
We March Together – Patrick Patrikios
Jay Sweeps – Geographer
Angel’s Dream – Aakash Gandhi
