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NEW ZEALAND

West Coast

NZ WIKI
NEW ZEALAND FORUM

PHOTO GALLERY: West Coast
SLIDESHOW

The West Coast Tai Poutini region is a unique part of New Zealand that covers a distance of 600 kilometers, with a population of 31,000 and contains 1.9 million hectares of land protected by the Department of Conservation.

The region offers a variety of tramps with more than 1,000 kilometers of hiking paths. There are five national parks, two Wilderness Areas and a World Heritage Area and there is an outstanding range of natural features including rainforests, glaciers, wetlands and an ocean habitat that is home to the Hector dolphin.

Among the top attractions are guided walks to the famous glaciers.

GEOGRAPHY

Sandwiched between the Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea, the West Coast stretches from Kahurangi Point in the north to Awarua Point in the south, a distance of some 550 kilometers - the distance between Auckland and Wellington.

TRAVEL TIPS

Peak tourism season runs from mid-October through the end of April. Reservations are recommended during this period.

Winter weather is not too harsh. The warm currents of the Tasman Sea keep the temperatures relatively mild. It rarely snows in the lowlands.

MINERALS

The region's abundant mineral wealth attracted early migrants. The West Coast is famous for its jade (pounamu), coal and gold.

TOURISM INDUSTRY

The West Coast hosted the 2006, 2007 Ecotourism Conference and is preparing for the 2008 event.

There are a high number of businesses utilizing the environment to provide tourism services such as glacier guiding, rafting and cave tours. The Department of Conservation estimate that the conservation area on the West Coast generates $221 million a year within the local economy. In addition about 15% of the West Coast workforce is employed on conservation land.