With its wide streets and historic buildings, Hokitika is certainly the West Coast’s most attractive small town. Smaller and quieter than Greymouth, it makes a more interesting overnight stop on the West Coast.
The self-guided Hokitika Heritage Trail includes 22 buildings and sights; most impressively the Carnegie Library built in 1908 and now home to the West Coast Museum.
Hokitika is also the country’s major centre for the working of greenstone; the Arahura River, which reaches the sea just north of the town, is a traditional source of the jade (pounamu) which has become so iconic to New Zealand. Local artists carve jewellery and sculptures, and you can visit workshops and galleries to observe the process and purchase souvenirs. Other local handicrafts include wood and bone carving, glassblowing, pottery and gold jewellery.
Hokitika Wild Foods Festival
A celebration of the tastes of the wild West Coast, the annual wild foods festival has become a major event in New Zealand’s calendar. New wild foods are introduced every year and the list includes delicacies such as huhu grubs, fish eyes and venison tongue.
With a wealth of entertainment and live music alongside the stalls, the weekend-long event offers something for everyone and gets bigger and better every year.
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Places near Hokitika
- Arthur's Pass National Park 35 miles away
- Punakaiki 47 miles away
- Fox & Franz Josef Glaciers 71 miles away
- Mount Cook National Park 83 miles away
- Lake Tekapo 93 miles away
- Hanmer Springs 96 miles away
- Christchurch 102 miles away
- South Island 105 miles away
- Twizel 116 miles away
- Akaroa & Banks Peninsula 126 miles away
- Kahurangi National Park 132 miles away
- Kaikoura 140 miles away
- Nelson 156 miles away
- Abel Tasman National Park 161 miles away
- Lake Wanaka 165 miles away
- Collingwood & Farewell Spit 167 miles away
- Blenheim 175 miles away
- Picton 185 miles away
- Arrowtown 187 miles away
- Marlborough Sounds 194 miles away
- Glenorchy 196 miles away
- Queenstown 197 miles away
- Milford Sound 204 miles away
- The Otago Peninsula 219 miles away
- Wellington 220 miles away
- Dunedin 220 miles away
- The Kapiti Coast 244 miles away
- Te Anau & Manapouri 247 miles away
- Martinborough 254 miles away
- Greytown 258 miles away
- Wairarapa & surrounds 258 miles away
- Doubtful Sound 267 miles away
- The Catlins 284 miles away
- Whanganui National Park 287 miles away