How to chill out on the West Coast
Best places for a cool West Coast holiday
When nights are long and winter comes around, the West Coast slips into a different gear — slower, quieter, a little more intimate. You may want to spend a bit more time indoors but that doesn’t mean everything stops outside. Outdoors or indoors, the West Coast has all the essentials for great holiday adventures throughout the cooler months.
It’s also true that some things are best appreciated in winter. When better to strike out on a glacier, soak up the warmth of geothermal waters or a hot tub, or settle in beside the fire for some convivial social time?
Franz Josef Glacier Guides
Embrace the ice on a glacier
There’s no finer time to see the twin glaciers — Fox and Franz Josef — than when the snow’s fresh on the mountains. It may be winter, but on a blue sky day, the sun soon warms the air above the ice turning the glaciers into glistening photogenic marvels.
To embrace the ice, there’s only one way to go — on a heli hike where the helicopter does the hard work of getting you up on that great ribbon of ice. After that, it’s time to stride or stroll across the glacier — at your leisure or pleasure — following your guide on a thrilling trail, up stairways of ice, skirting deep crevasses and into blue-tinted ice caves. Experiencing the dynamic glacier icescape is an awe-inspiring activity — you won’t want to put your camera down.
Guided heli hikes depart from both Franz Josef and Fox glacier villages. Ice-walking gear is supplied, and all you need is appropriate outerwear and average fitness.
Post hike, in Franz Josef, warm up in a steaming wood-fired hot tub, a bubbling spa pool or a sauna. There’s a wide range of accommodation in both glacier towns, some with private spa and sauna facilities.
STAY & EAT — Franz Josef & Fox:
- Winters are cosy at the Rainforest Retreat (Franz Josef) where facilities include shared and private spa pools, and a Scandinavian-style sauna to book. On-site Monsoon Bar and Restaurant has a roaring fire to go with a hearty winter menu.
- Holly Homestead (Franz Josef) is a warm, welcoming B&B in a gracious heritage homestead with four suites. Relax in the snug guest lounge beside the log-burner fire. Cosy Alice May eatery serves comforting café food.
- Historic Heartland Hotel Fox Glacier has a varied room styles, cosy guest lounges with open fireplaces, in-house dining and bar. Betsey Jane Eatery & Bar is a smart locale with great food in Fox Glacier village.
Discover the best walks with glacier views in Glacier Country
Chill out on a wild West Coast beach
Savour a wild, winter’s day on a West Coast beach. Wind in your hair, the thunder of waves whipping up foam on the sand, the tinkle of pebbles as the tide washes back into the sea. Raw beauty, moments to treasure.
West Coast beaches are made for long wanders. Stretching out forever, covered with glistening sand, multi-coloured pebbles (even pounamu, if you’re lucky), smooth stones and stacks of silver polished driftwood — wide, open and perfect for fossicking.
Walk the dog, race the children. Build castles of sticks and stones, fossick among the pebbles and gather driftwood to build a bonfire for toasting toes and marshmallows. The sunsets are epic, and the super dark, night skies are a wonder. What could be better to make great holiday memories?
STAY & EAT — Ross, Westport, Hokitika:
- Quirky Ross Top 10 Holiday Park does glamping with style. Check in for spectacular sunsets over the sea, book the private hot tub spa to enjoy the night skies, and snuggle into a luxury geo dome or upcycled container pod apartment. Dine in by the fireside at The Empire Hotel in Ross — pub fare and takeaways.
- Hokitika Beachfront Hotel is perfectly placed for views, wanders and creative pursuits on wildly, beautiful Hokitika Beach. Eat in or, as it’s also right in town, choose from a range of local eateries including the warm and inviting Thatcher and Small.
- Popular in summer, Carter’s Beach is quiet in winter, perfect for long walks into the sunset. Carter’s Beach Top 10 has classic beach resort accommodation — from campsites to family apartments. A short drive away, The Bay House is a romantic B&B in a spectacular location right on the beachfront. Eat out at nearby Donaldo’s Café or the Star Tavern.
Maruia Hot Springs
Get some true West Coast cool
There’s cool and then there’s real cool. Winter is an exceptional time at Maruia Hot Springs — a cool little wellness resort in a pristine forest near a mountain pass. The temperature of the mineral-rich geothermal waters bubbling up from far below hardly varies but winter bathers could get the double pleasure of a soak while it snows.
Relax, breathe, unwind, and reconnect with nature. Combine a sauna with a cold plunge, or complete the experience with day spa treatments, wellness and yoga classes. Onsite facilities include rock and infrared saunas, steam room, cold plunge pool and thermal massage showers.
Hokitika lays claim to the title of ‘the cool little town’. It’s the place to go for some of the coolest shopping on the Coast, to meet artists in their workshops and get into the local vibe. The Woodstock Hotel — the Woodie — is a welcoming historic local pub offering good pub grub, craft beer and live music nights on Fridays.
STAY & EAT — Maruia Springs, Reefton, Hokitika:
- Maruia Hot Springs accommodation ranges from stylish hotel rooms to comfortable glamping pods and camping sites. Room rates include access to the pools, saunas and steam room, and wellness activities including the signature sauna infusion or yoga classes. The on-site café-restaurant serves thoughtful, nourishing fare.
- Reefton — an hour from Maruia Springs — is a fascinating little town, full of stories and some pretty cool locals who’re revitalising many historic buildings around town, like the celebrated Reefton Distilling Co. — producers of award-winning gin and whisky. Check out a wide range of eateries and charming boutique accommodations.
Lake Daniell
Chillax big time
Relax and chill, the West Coast is naturally good for you. Serene lakes, ancient forests, rain on the roof and dark, starry nights make perfect company for a holiday focused on time out for pure relaxation.
Absorb the pure calm of a mirror lake on a still, misty morning. Famously picture-perfect Lake Matheson is just one of many stunning West Coast lakes with breathtaking mirror reflections and quiet forest trails to lovely vistas. Wander through verdant green bush among ancient giants that were old before humans ever penetrated these secret places. Wherever you are on the West Coast, there’s a forest trail nearby.
By night, look up, take time to focus and wonder at the magnificence of the universe. With clear nights and minimal light pollution, the West Coast enjoys outstanding stargazing. Spa-gazing from a wood-fired tub is a very cool way to view the night sky.
STAY & EAT — Karamea, Ōkārito:
- Sunny Karamea is the West Coast’s northernmost village. Discover golden sand beaches and walk forest trails through glades of swishing nīkau palms in this sub-tropical corner of the South Island. There’s a range of accommodation with in-house dining or self-catering facilities, and the excellent little local café, Vinnie’s.
- Make a complete getaway to the tiny coastal settlement of Ōkārito, near Franz Josef. This wilderness gem sits amid rainforest, coastal wetlands, wild beaches, views of the country’s highest mountains and incredible stargazing. Accommodation is mostly self-catering cribs (baches) and holiday homes. Everything in ‘town’ is within walking distance, so leave the car behind and take the slow lane.
- For the ultimate chillax, treat body and soul at Amaia Luxury Spa in Te Waonui Forest Retreat, Franz Josef, where 5-star sustainable luxury is immersed in the rainforest. The Canopy Restaurant serves a degustation menu.
