West Coast

The Detour Is the Point

The West Coast rewards people who slow down. Most tourists barrel through hitting the obvious stops mid-morning alongside the tour buses. The move is to time the busy spots - Punakaiki, Hokitika Gorge, Lake Matheson - for early or late, and fill the middle of the day with the detours everyone else drives straight past. Those detours are often the best bits. Places like Okarito and Gillespies Beach are exactly why you're in a campervan. Beach fires, 360-degree views of the Alps and the Tasman, and hardly anyone around.

Glaciers, Gorges and That Water Colour

The glacial water colour along this coast is something else. Hokitika Gorge is the easy crowd-pleaser but go early. Further south, Franz Josef is my pick over Fox for free hikes with proper glacier views. If the weather's right, a scenic flight or heli-hike from the glacier towns is top shelf - the promo code RANKERS gets you a discount on those, which takes the edge off the price. Book them close to the day though. Mountain weather here makes its own plans.

Pancake Rocks to the Haast Pass

Pancake Rocks at high tide and sunset is the standout coastal stop, and the Punakaiki Beach Camp puts you right on the doorstep for that. The Haast Pass drive south is not one to rush either - Blue Pools, Thunder Creek Falls, and the less-visited Roaring Billy are all worth stopping for. Just come loaded with sandfly repellent and long sleeves - the little punks are relentless around the rivers and through the pass. Over near Charleston, the caving and rafting experience is a good one too, and the RANKERS promo code saves you a bit there.

Okarito Is the Quiet Highlight

Most people stay in Franz Josef township and miss Okarito entirely. That's a shame. It's NZ's largest pest-free habitat now, so the birdlife is genuinely remarkable - Kiwi at night, Kea and Kakariki during the day. Kayaking the lagoon in the early morning with mirror reflections and total quiet is one of those rare travel moments. If kayaking isn't your thing, the boat tours on the lagoon are brilliant too. Leave them to it in Franz, and come here instead.