The West Coast Region of New Zealand is the least populous region, with an estimated population of a little over 30,000 people. These people sparsely populate a large expanse of land, with only about 4 people per square mile (2 people per square km). Given the limited impact of humans on the area, it is a favorite destination for people looking to experience native wilderness of New Zealand, such as the Southern Alps.
Destination Overview
Wanaka to Nelson Road Trip Through the Southern Alps
Throughout the year the region experiences a lot of rain due to its geographic location on the west side of the Southern Alps. The small towns of Franz Josef and Fox Glacier are two popular places for tourists to base themselves in the hopes of a clear enough day to take a helicopter into the Southern Alps and see the Franz Josef Glacier or Fox Glacier up close. Further north along New Zealand’s West Coast is the region’s largest town of Greymouth, with a population of a little under 10,000 people. Greymouth’s breakwater pier is a great place to spot pods of Hector’s dolphins (one of the smallest in the world), have delicious beer at Monteith’s Brewery, and rest at a halfway point on a West Coast road trip.
After visiting Queenstown, we wanted to spend a few days in Wanaka, a resort town set on the beautiful blue Lake Wanaka. The town is only located about an hour from Queenstown, so many people visit for only a day. Wanaka is a gateway to Mount Aspiring National Park, contains the famous Wanaka Tree, and is home to Roy’s Peak, which is one of the most popular day hikes in New Zealand. After visiting Wanaka our next destination was Nelson, located 10 hours north at the very top of the South Island. There are two comparable travel routes to reach it; the first goes back through Christchurch and the second passes through the West Coast region. We had received numerous recommendations to try to visit the West Coast glaciers so we decided to take the western route with an overnight in Franz Josef to have 2 days to try to see the glaciers. We knew that it was possible that we wouldn’t see any of the Southern Alps due to the inclement weather in the region but wanted to give it a try anyway. We also planned an overnight in Greymouth so that we could take the drive slowly and appreciate some of the scenic stops on the way to Nelson such as Mount Aspiring National Park, Hokitika Gorge, and the Pancake Rocks & Blow Holes.
Where to Read More
The Best Road Trip Through the West Coast of New Zealand
A day-by-day itinerary discussing the different things to do along the West Coast of New Zealand and how to best enjoy the amazing views.
An Interesting Fact
New Zealand’s West Coast is Known for Its Untamed Wilderness
Upon leaving Wanaka, we headed north through Mount Aspiring National Park in order to drive through the Haast Pass on our way to the West Coast of New Zealand. While stopping to hike to a few of the viewpoints and water falls, we noticed a sign welcoming us to the Untamed Wilderness of the West Coast. Our first stop along the drive to Franz Josef was at Knights Point Lookout and it was a great introduction to the jagged coastline rising above the sea below. Throughout the remainder of the drive we took in the coastal sights without any signs of towns. Upon arriving at Fox Glacier the clouds had completely covered the Southern Alps above. We still decided to hike to the Glacier Viewpoint through the Moraine Walk which was an easy stroll in the rainforest along the Fox River. On the way, we passed by numerous signs indicating where the glacier ended in the past and it was remarkable to see how much the glacier has retreated the last few centuries. Upon reaching the end of the trail we could see a small portion of the Fox Glacier in the distance. We knew at the very least that we had been able to see the glacier during our trip, which was nice. On the way to Franz Josef, we stopped at a few viewpoints for different glacier vantage points but couldn’t see anything due to the cloud coverage.
The next morning, we had scheduled a scenic spectacular flight after encouragement from numerous people we met. Our helicopter was scheduled to fly over the Fox Glacier, past Aoraki / Mount Cook, and onto Franz Josef Glacier. We were a little nervous because it was our first helicopter ride but New Zealand has a reputation of stellar pilots navigating the terrain and frequently cancels the tours if the weather is not good enough. When we woke up for the flight, it was a clear day and the forecasts called for very little wind. After doing the formal safety check-ins and meeting our pilot, we were off into the Southern Alps. Passing over the area we hiked the previous day put into context the raw beauty of the rainforest and the immense mountains all around that had been hidden in the clouds. Looking at the Fox Glacier below was magnificent and then we continued climbing higher up to Aoraki / Mount Cook, the highest peak in New Zealand. We then crossed to the other side of the Southern Alps and saw the Tasman Glacier stretching out into Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park where we had previously hiked at the start of our trip in New Zealand. Landing on top of the Franz Josef Glacier was incredible, and we were able to walk around on the glacier to fully take in the scenic views nestled in the mountains. After enjoying the time on the glacier, we got back into the helicopter for our return trip and were treated to views of coastline in the distance before landing once again.
Overall the experience was amazing and truly helped put into perspective the untamed wilderness that exists in the West Coast of New Zealand. Since the visibility was still great we continued back to a few of the glacier viewpoints from the prior day that had been cloudy. The distant views of the Southern Alps were great additional perspectives on the glaciers and mountains that we had just been so close to only minutes before. We finished our time in Franz Josef with a small walk around Lake Matheson and due to the calm weather allowed us to see the Southern Alps reflected in the water for an unforgettable final view of the region.
Travel Tip of the Week
Hike Roy’s Peak Early in the Morning for a Great Experience
Roy’s Peak is one of the most popular day hikes in all of New Zealand and offers stunning views of Mount Aspiring National Park, Lake Wanaka, and the town of Wanaka below. The trail head is a little over an hour from Queenstown and only 10 minutes from Wanaka. This means that a large number of people set out each day to complete the over 10 mile (16 km) hike. We had been told to start the hike early so we arrived at the trail head at sunrise but were shocked to see nearly the entire parking lot was filled. As we started our nearly straight uphill climb we were second guessing our start time due to everyone else coming earlier. What we soon realized by everyone coming down the trail is that most people went up Roy’s Peak for sunrise. This meant that on our way to the top all of the view points were nearly free of people and allowed us to contemplate the beauty of the stunning vistas. A few of the people that were coming down had winter clothes and told us it was freezing at the top. We had additional layers if needed but by the time we got to the summit, it was warm enough to enjoy our time up there comfortably.
On our way down we had a second chance to stop at the viewpoints to see the vistas in a slightly different lighting. There were still very few people at them making for a second peaceful stop at the famous views. As we headed on the trail straight downhill we noticed a fair amount of people were coming up. At this point in the day the sun was really strong, and they looked exhausted from the heat on the steep uphill climb. We arrived back at the car park in the early afternoon, which was the perfect time to go to Lake Wanaka for a cool down swim. After the swim we met up with fellow hikers from Roy’s Peak at Kai Whakapai Eatery & Craft Beer Bar which had a lively shaded patio for enjoying drinks and great conversations. At the end of the day we went for a delicious dinner at Big Fig Wanaka, which was the perfect combination of healthy, flavorful and filling after a long day of hiking. After dinner, we still had time to visit the Wanaka Tree which normally attracts large crowds of day trippers. While at the tree, there were still a few people, but overall it was a relaxing conclusion to a wonderful day in Wanaka.
