Historic Hokitika is a place to appreciate the fascinating history of the West Coast. Hear about the ship wrecks, gold miners and pounamu hunters.
Hokitika was first settled in 1860, after the discovery of gold on the West Coast. It was an important river port, but many ships came to grief on the notorious ‘Hokitika Bar’ – a sandbar that shifts with every tide.
Nowadays Hokitika is known as the Cool Little Town. There are some lovely old buildings on the town’s historic walk. You’ll also notice galleries specialising in pounamu jewellery and art works. The Arahura River, which enters the sea just north of Hokitika, is a traditional source of pounamu (greenstone). Gold jewellers, wood turners and potters provide other souvenir opportunities. Hokitika’s icon event is the Wildfoods Festival, which is held at the end of summer.
Visitors to Hokitika can also experience an adrenaline rush by embarking on the West Coast Tree Tops Zipline(opens in new window) adventure.
