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THE awesome scenery, amazing adventures and wonderful walks in Westport and the Northern Coast are complemented by welcoming accommodation and fabulous dining experiences in this temperate climate of the 'winterless north'.
Adventure is limitless including Jetski tours, white water rafting, adventure caving, mountain biking, jet boating, underworld rafting, heli-rafting, scenic caving, horse trekking, surfing, kayaking, land yachting, fishing, chartered fishing and unimog tours or just exploring some of New Zealand's finest scenery.
There are four special districts in the region, each with its own character, its own adventures and its own unique scenic attractions.
They are all close, so it is easy to experience them all. Make it a week, make it a weekend. There's a friendly welcome waiting for you in this 'Jewel of the West Coast', the best of the west.
Location
The region is situated in the North West of the South Island of New Zealand, offering ready access to the extensive fruit growing and wineries of the Nelson and Marlborough regions, as well as the equally accessible industrial base at Christchurch, via road, rail, and sea.
Regular air services to Wellington, as the nations administrative capital, compliments an extensive transport system covering all requirements.
The Northern West Coast region is characterised by the magnificence of it's scenery, unique to this part of the country.
Landscape
Physically, the region is dominated by it's mountains, lakes, rivers, forests and rugged coastline. Rainfall is high, but with a large annual quota of sunshine (more than Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch) the Northern West Coast had one of the mildest climates in New Zealand.
The regional topography comprises four broad outlines; flood plains and low terraces, higher terraces and outwash surfaces, hill country and mountain lands.
The flood plains of the many rivers and the low terraces are relatively fertile and free draining, and are suitable mainly for grassland and fodder crop agriculture. Some areas of pakahi have been drained and ongoing fertilising methods have literally gained ground for industries such as forestry.
Land tenure on the West Coast is overwhelmingly dominated by the State, with only 12 per cent of land freehold. This land tenure is mirrored in the North. Much of the Northern West Coast is in native forest, and a mapwork of it's magnificent rivers, the largest being the Buller River, adds to the scenic qualities of the district.