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Want to get away from it all, without sacrificing your favorite creature
comforts? Discover the Wild West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island
from this superb oasis tucked between the Southern Alps and the Tasman
Sea. |
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THE ACCOMMODATIONS: Although timber frame West Coast Homestead was built in 1996 with all the comforts of modern construction, its traditional service and style hearken back to a time when the romance of travel required personal attention, spacious comfort, and elegant pace. The lodge makes great use of rich native wood throughout guest rooms and common space. The upscale bed and breakfast accommodations at West Coast Homestead include three lavish ground-floor bedrooms — one with twin beds, one with a king bed, and one with a super-king bed — each with its own full bathroom, TV, central heating, and private access to the classic veranda that wraps around the homestead. Common rooms include a |
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large, opulent guest lounge and dining room where guests take breakfast and (optional, but recommended) dinner. In the lush native New Zealand garden that surrounds the lodge, a hot-tub spa is sequestered among ferns and bamboo. The hearty breakfast guarantees that guests get off to a good start each day, and the home-cooked evening meal of fresh, local country cuisine repairs even the fiercest appetites acquired during active days exploring the region. A private lane accesses West Coast Homestead from a secondary road. Private guest parking is immediately adjacent to the lodge. |
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THE SETTING: West Coast Homestead is located between Greymouth and Hokitika—two of the three principal towns of Westland — about one-third of the way south along this, New Zealand’s remotest region. The lodge occupies a pretty and private garden swath cut out of the native bush. The coastal plain is relatively broad at this point, but Westland remains hemmed in to the north, south, and east by mountain ranges, and to the west by more than 1,000 miles of the Tasman Sea to the next landfall: Australia. The homestead is just a few minutes from the sea, and, inland to the east, the hills quickly rise towards the Southern Alps. |
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Mining — especially for gold — brought European settlers to the region. Mining — for green jade known in New Zealand as “greenstone” — also brought Maori natives to the region. The gold has largely played out, but greenstone is still readily found here. The Westland bush is dense and the many rivers and streams are wild: the region is one of the wettest in New Zealand. Agriculture mixed with some light industry employ most “Coasters”, as residents of Westland are known. The climate and isolation combine to make life challenging in Westland, and Coasters have a reputation as tough, hard-living pioneers. The population of |
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Westland is small, even by New Zealand standards, but the reputation of the hardy Coasters is large. In Westland expect few towns of size, and minimal traffic on the few |
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roads. There are also few gas stations, restaurants, shops, and services, but West Coast Homestead’s setting between Greymouth and Hokitika means several café/restaurants, shops, and filling stations are within 20 minutes north or 10 minutes south. The dining room at West Coast Homestead features a homey elegance enhanced by natural New Zealand woods and country style furnishings. |
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THE LOCATION: The West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island may be both remote and wet, but it is one of the country’s magical regions. Parts or all of five national parks (Westland, Aoraki/Mount Cook, Mount Aspiring, Arthur’s Pass, and Paparoa) plus the UNESCO-designated South Westland World Heritage Area are found in Westland. Two rare temperate zone glaciers (Franz Josef and Fox) flow out of the Southern Alps and extend almost to the ocean an about two hours south of the West Coast Homestead. Two great mountain passes (Arthur’s Pass to/from the east and Haast Pass to/from the south) plus the scenic Buller Gorge route to/from the north serve as the road access routes in and |
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out of Westland. The West Coast Homestead is approximately halfway between the NELSON region at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island and the Central Otago region (Wanaka and Queenstown) across the Southern Alps to the southwest. It also makes an ideal way stop for travelers coming west from Christchurch on the famed TranzAlpine scenic train who are |
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picking up a car at Greymouth and driving south through Westland to the glaciers and across the Haast to Wanaka and Queenstown. |
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ACTIVITIES: In addition to touring throughout Westland, guests enjoy fishing the nearby streams, lakes, and surf, walking along the coast, and hiking in the Southern Alps (including glacier hiking), visiting craft shops (especially for greenstone jewelry), and exploring local villages and ghost towns to experience the region’s mining past. |
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THE HOSTS: As with all Home At First New Zealand lodgings, the hosts (a married couple) at the West Coast Homestead take an active interest in their guests and are especially keen on sharing their knowledge of Westland. Because one host is a local Coaster and the other is a native New Zealander who has resided in Westland for many years, both hosts have great regional knowledge that includes Maori stories, history, and legends. The hosts offer an after-dinner hour of cultural story telling as an optional activity for guests. |
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THE OFFER: West Coast Homestead offers a peaceful, central base from which to explore Westland, as well as a convenient way station for travelers exploring the South Island of New Zealand. Spacious, upscale lodging with a sumptuous breakfast and the option of authentic country home dining make a stay at the West Coast Homestead an ideal addition to any South Island travel program. With a broad selection of touring options and outdoor activities close at hand, adding a stay at the West Coast Homestead to your independent, flexible, fly/drive HOME AT FIRST trip makes it possible to experience the New Zealand of your travel dreams. |
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Learn more about HOME AT FIRST's travel program to: NEW ZEALAND. |
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