The West Coast region of the South Island stretches from Karamea in the north to Jackson Bay in the south, a distance of around 600 kilometres. It is a much-loved scenic drive that takes travellers through a kaleidoscope of scenery. From the towering Southern Alps and snowy peaks of the main divide to the wild seas and rocky, driftwood-covered beaches of the coast. And, of course, the lush, dense rainforest of Westland’s national parks between the two. The forest here is breathtakingly dense and lush thanks to the huge amount of rainfall the region receives each year.

The region offers plenty of places to stay and explore the gold mining history, remote bushwalking tracks, as well as small towns like Rapahoe and Rununga and the main townships of Westport and Hokitika.