Hokitika Travel Guide
Hokitika accommodation, Hokitika activities and attractions, Hokitika maps, transportation to and around Hokitika - the ALL NEW Jasons Hokitika Destination Travel Guide is your complete visitor guide for Hokitika.
At the mouth of the Hokitika River, Hokitika has a vibrant goldmining history, and was once the heart of New Zealand's richest gold producing province. These days, Hokitika is a craft mecca and the gateway to the scenic wonders of South Westland. You can learn all about Hokitika's colourful history at the West Coast Historical Museum and at the Gibson Quay area - a reconstruction of part of the original wharf that served the region during the goldrush days of the 1860s.
Hokitika is also home to some of the country's best jade carvers, and you can visit the
local greenstone studios to watch the artisans at work. If you're visiting in March, be sure to sample some of the unique food at Hokitika's Wildfoods Festival, a celebration of the West Coast way of life. Lake Mahinapua, south of town, is a popular spot for yachting, fishing and canoeing, and nearby you can enjoy a round of golf at the 18-hole Hokitika Golf Links. Hokitika's historic paddleboat Takutai Belle cruises down the river or take to the skies for a scenic flight over towering Mount Cook and the mighty
Franz Josef and
Fox glaciers.
Westland Visitor Information Office
Carnegie Building
Hamilton Street
Hokitika
Geographic Location
West Coast of South Island
Population
4000
Climate
Summer average: 23°C
Winter Average: 12°C
Average Rainfall: 2783mm/year