Land Transport

The Road Is the Experience

The West Coast is genuinely one of those places where the drive itself is the thing. The stretch from Westport south through Punakaiki is banger coastal driving - pull over, smell the sea air, and don't be in a rush. Same goes for the Haast Pass. It's winding and steep in parts, so take your time. The road keeps rewarding you if you let it.

Campervans Were Made for This Place

If you're in a campervan, you're set up perfectly for the West Coast. Most of the best spots - Punakaiki, Okarito, Gillespies Beach - have limited or no motel options, which means the tour bus crowd clears out and the place is yours early morning and late evening. That's when everything is at its best anyway. A larger motorhome does close off a couple of options though - the Oparara Arch road near Karamea has a 2.8m height restriction, and Gillespies Beach is a winding gravel road not suited to big rigs or the nervous.

If you're not in your own vehicle, there's a shuttle running between Greymouth and Christchurch via Arthur's Pass, which is a handy link if you're mixing up your transport.