Hokitika

Hokitika's iconic driftwood sculpture

Hokitika (local English pronunciation "hoke-uh-TICK-uh"), gateway to the South Westland World Heritage National Park, is on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island.

Understand

Founded on gold mining in 1864, Hokitika was a centre of the West Coast Gold Rush and grew very quickly. By late 1866, it was one of New Zealand's most populous centres. On 16 September 1867, there were 41 vessels alongside the wharf, as the port of Hokitika ranked first in New Zealand in both the number of vessels entered inwards and in the total value of exports, principally gold.

Hokitika Museum in the historic Carnegie Library building

The population has declined greatly since the Gold Rush, but the population of the Westland District is now on the rise, thanks to "lifestyle inhabitants". Almost 30% of the district's rate-payers live outside of Hokitika.

Get in

By car

• Hokitika is about three hours' drive from Christchurch via State Highway 73 over scenic Arthur's Pass; it's worth stopping at Arthur's Pass National Park HQ, enjoying the views, and keeping an eye out for kea.

  

  Lake Kaniere

By bus

• Intercity Coachlines travel to Greymouth from Christchurch or Nelson, and there are regular coaches from Greymouth, 40 minutes away. It's approximately 2 hours drive from Fox Glacier.

By plane

• 1 Hokitika Airport (HKK  ^IATA). Air New Zealand flies from Christchurch every day. (updated Oct 2019)

Get around

On foot

Hokitika is small enough that you can see most things on foot. The majority are around the old main street, Revell Street, which was laid out by an amateur town planner during Gold Rush days to follow the sand dunes, and is notably kinked (it's known as the "Crooked Mile").

See

Hokitika Gorge

• 1 Hokitika Beach Sign. The famous driftwood sign. (updated Sep 2020)
• 2 The National Kiwi Centre, 64 Tancred St, ☏ +64 3 755 5251. summer 9AM–5PM; winter 9:30AM–4:30PM. A private tourism business - not "national" in the sense of being affiliated with the government. Visit this kiwi centre and aquarium to see kiwi, tuatara, giant eels, many native and exotic fish, along with turtles and frogs.. There are also activities to participate in - feeding the giant eels, catch and release of 'crawlies,' a children's room with lots of books and toys, & displays and video about the kiwi and other creatures. At 10:00am, 12:00 noon, and 3:00pm it's feeding time for the 100 year old eels, sport fish, and kiwi, with an informative talk about these amazing creatures. Adult $27.50, child $15, senior $24, family $75. (updated Sep 2020)
• 3 Westland Industrial Heritage Park, Industrial Road. Volunteer run museum, with large machines in working order including sawmill engines, fire engines and tractors. (updated Oct 2019)
• 4 Glowworm Dell (just off the main highway north of Hokitika). This dell is best visited at night; you'll be surrounded by sparkling glowworms. They're about a minute walk in from the road, and while the path is dark, using a bright torch will make some of the glowworms turn off. The light of a phone screen is totally enough to see by. (updated Oct 2019)
• 5 Hokitika Gorge (33 km east of Hokitika). Some thirty minutes away from the town by car. Cross a swingbridge over stunning blue waters, on the 15 minute walk through forest to a viewing platform. (updated Oct 2019)
• 6 Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve. Beautiful lakes that offers opportunity for a number of water sports, several picnic spots, a camping area, and numerous short walks. (updated Sep 2020)
• 7 Dorothy Falls. A multi-step waterfall. (updated Sep 2020)
• 8 Lake Mahinapua. A good place for camping, picnicking, walking and water based activities. (updated Sep 2020)

Notable buildings

• 9 Hokitika Museum, 47 Revell St, ☏ +64 3 755 6898, enquiries@hokitikamuseum.co.nz. Housed in a striking former Carnegie public library, the Museum closed for seismic strengthening in September 2019, and is expected to reopen in late 2020–early 2021. Until the strengthing work starts, a small display on the history of the building is sometimes open. (updated Dec 2019)
• 10 Government Buildings (Seddon House), 14 Sewell St. (updated Sep 2020)
• 11 St Mary's Catholic Church, Sewell Street and Stafford Street. An imposing neoclassical Roman Catholic church built between 1914 and 1928. The building has been closed since 2012 due to earthquake risk.  
• 12 Custom House, Gibson Quay. (updated Sep 2020)
• 13 Hokitika Clock Tower, Weld St - Sewell St Roundabout. (updated Sep 2020)

Do

• Wildfoods Festival. Annual food festival, serving foods that range from the benign to the absolute wildest: paua titties (roe), bull, lamb and goat testicles, that you could consider. Usually held in March.  
• 1 West Coast Treetop Walkway, 1128 Woodstock-Rimu Road, toll-free: 0508 8733 8677 (TREETOPS). Oct–Apr 9AM – 4:15PM; May–Sep 9AM – 3:15PM. Walk along a 450 m-long steel platform at tree-top height (20 m off the ground). Adult $32. (updated Oct 2019)
• 2 West Coast Scenic Waterways (4 km south of Hokitika on SH6; turn left at the sign "Scenic Waterways" before the bridge), ☏ +64 274 301 777, wcscenicwaterways@gmail.com. Bike and kayak hire beside the West Coast Wilderness Trail, and a scenic riverboat cruise on the Mahinapua Creek. Also offers cottage B&B accommodation. (updated Dec 2019)
• 3 Bonz 'N' Stonz Carving Studio, 16 Hamilton Street, ☏ +64 3 755 6504. You can design and carve your own piece in jade, bone or paua. (updated Sep 2020)
• 4 Mount Tuhua Track. A steep track to the open tussock peak of Mt. Tuhua; 7 hrs to hike there and back. (updated Sep 2020)

The former Government Buildings in Hokitika

• 5 Mount Brown Hut track. Hut has magnificent views overlooking Lake Kaniere. There are 4 bunk beds available. (updated Sep 2020)

Buy

Pounamu is a nephrite jade found only on the West Coast, and its harvest and sale is governed by Ngai Tahu. There are a variety of pounamu stores, mainly along Weld and Tancred Streets. Beware some shops selling Canadian jade carved in China - if the price looks too good to be true, it's probably not pounamu. You can see Ngati Waewae carvers in action and buy verified pounamu carvings at Te Waipounamu Maori Heritage Centre, on the corner of Weld & Sewell.

• 1 Sock World, 93 Revell Street. Buy socks, woollen yard and sock knitting machines. There is also a free museum of sock knitting machines. (updated Dec 2019)

The white heron or kōtuku (Ardea alba modesta) can be seen in waterways around Hokitika and Lake Mahinapua

• 2 Hokitika Craft Gallery, 25 Tancred Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8802. (updated Sep 2020)
• 3 Wilderness Gallery, 29 Tancred Street, ☏ +64 3 755 7575. (updated Sep 2020)
• 4 Westland Greenstone, 34 Tancred Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8713. (updated Sep 2020)
• 5 Hokitika Glass Studio, 9 Weld Street, ☏ +64 3 755 7775. Watch them make beautiful pieces of glass and then make a few purchases at the Hokitika Glass Works. (updated Sep 2020)
• 6 Waewae Pounamu, 39 Weld Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8304. (updated Sep 2020)
• 7 Tectonic Jade, 67 Revell Street, ☏ +64 3 755 6644. (updated Sep 2020)
• 8 Heritage Jade, 86 Revell Street. (updated Sep 2020)

Hokitika Town Clock

• 9 Hokitika New World, 116 Revell Street. daily 8AM - 9PM. Supermarket. (updated Oct 2019)
• 10 Four Square, 140 Stafford St. M-F 7AM - 9PM; Sa-Su 8AM - 9PM. Small supermarket. (updated Oct 2019)

Eat

• 1 Fat Pipi Pizza, 89 Revell St, ☏ +64 3 755 6373. (updated Dec 2019)
• 2 Priya Indian Restaurant, 79 Revell Street, ☏ +64 3 755 7225. (updated Sep 2020)
• 3 Easteat Restaurant 唐小厨, 74 Revell Street. Chinese food. (updated Sep 2020)
• 4 The Hokitika Sandwich Company, 83 Revell Street, ☏ +64 3 429 2019. Won New Zealand's best toastie award in 2019. (updated Sep 2020)
• 5 Thatcher & Small, 84 Revell Street, ☏ +64 3 755 5432. (updated Sep 2020)
• 6 Stumpers Bar & Cafe, 98 Revell Street, ☏ +64 3 755 6154. (updated Sep 2020)
• 7 Stone Oven Bakery Cafe, 105 Revell Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8412. (updated Sep 2020)
• 8 Ocean View Restaurant, 111 Revell Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8344. (updated Sep 2020)
• 9 Cafe 39, 39 Tancred Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8379. (updated Sep 2020)
• 10 Dulcie's Takeaways, 6 Gibson Quay, ☏ +64 3 756 8018. (updated Sep 2020)
• 11 Clocktower Cafe, 41 Weld Street,, ☏ +64 3 755 7737. (updated Sep 2020)
• 12 Porky's - Hokitika Townchip, 51 Weld Street, ☏ +64 3 756 8229. (updated Sep 2020)
• 13 Stations Inn, 11 Blue Spur Road, ☏ +64 3 755 5499. (updated Sep 2020)

Drink

• 1 Stumpers Bar & Cafe, 98 Revell Street. (updated Sep 2020)
• 2 Hokitika Chartered Club, 42 Hamilton Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8342. (updated Sep 2020)
• 3 Railway Hotel Motel, 34 Weld Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8116. (updated Sep 2020)
• 4 Pioneer Hotel, 80 Gibson Quay, ☏ +64 3 755 8641. (updated Sep 2020)

Sleep

The old Hokitika fire station is now a boutique hotel

• 1 252 Beachside Motels & Holiday Park, 252 Revell Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8773, toll-free: 0508 252 252, fax: +64 3 755 8772, info@252beachside.co.nz. room from $70, powered campervan site $40. (updated Oct 2024)
• 2 154 Kaniere Road Accommodation, 154 Kaniere Road (3.5 km from town centre), ☏ +64 3 755 7440. Older style motel units with shared kitchen and bathroom - keys to be collected from Annabelle Motel, 214 Weld Street. from $40. 
• 3 Teichelmann's Bed & Breakfast, 20 Hamilton St, ☏ +64 3 755 8232, +64 3 755 8239, toll-free: 0800 743 742. From NZ$115–180, including continental breakfast. 
• 4 Kaniere Hotel, 289 Kaniere Road, ☏ +64 3 755 8443. (updated Sep 2020)
• 5 Pioneer Hotel, 80 Gibson Quay, ☏ +64 3 755 8641. (updated Sep 2020)
• 6 Railway Hotel Motel, 34 Weld Street, ☏ +64 3 755 8116. (updated Sep 2020)

Go next

North:

• Greymouth and Shantytown (a bit before Greymouth and 20 minutes drive from Hokitika)
• Punakaiki Blowholes – an hour and a half drive

South:

• Ross
• Franz Josef Glacier – two hours drive on State Highway 6
• Fox Glacier – the bigger and less crowded glacier, 2.5 hours drive

Routes through Hokitika

Greymouth ←

N  S

→ Ross → Franz Josef Glacier