Where Is Hokitika?
Hokitika is located on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. It is about a 1 and a half hours drive from Arthur’s Pass and a 7 hour drive from Queenstown. The town is small, with an estimated population of 3,420 as of June, 2025. Hokitika acts as a major hub for the West Coast region with hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting annually. In this Hokitika itinerary, I will go through what makes it a good stop and what the best things to do there are.
What Makes It A Good Stop?
A whole number of reasons! Number 1 being its location along the West Coast. In my 1 Month New Zealand Itinerary, I recommend doing the South Island anticlockwise, meaning you are driving south down the West Coast. Whether you’ve driven from the Malborough Sounds and Abel Tasman in the north, or across from Christchurch in the east, it is likely you’re stop before Arthurs Pass in the centre of the South Island.
Hokitika is then the perfect place to break up the drive from Arthurs Pass to Franz Josef. I would recommend spending a full day here to get everything below done.
Camping Spots:
To be honest, Hokitika is great for many things but places to camp really isn’t one of them! There are no free spots at all, so if you do need to stay then it would have to be at one of the 4 paid areas in town. However, a lot of the West Coast is like this and the Holiday Parks here look well-reviewed. I use Campermate to find all my camping spots.
Things To Do:
Go To The Kiwi Sanctuary
The National Kiwi Sanctuary Centre and Aquarium is a must-visit in Hokitika. It is open Monday-Sunday from 9am-5pm and has eel feeding at 10am, 12pm and 3pm so it is best to go within one of these times! There is no need to prebook, you can just show up and pay in the reception. The whole visit, including taking part in an eel feeding, you will need 90 minutes-2 hours.
Admission Prices:
| Person Type | Prices |
| Adult | $39 |
| Child (5-16 years old) | $21 |
| Family (2 adults and up to 3 children) | $101 |
| Infant (0-4 years old) | FREE |
I have been twice and loved it both times. There are tons of animals to see in the aquarium including turtles, axolotls and a variety of fish. There is a huge tank of long fin eels – the biggest eels in the world! At the allotted times you can feed and stroke them after hearing facts about them. There is also a crayfish pond where you can have a competition and see who can catch the most.
One of the highlights for me is the Tuatara, New Zealand’s oldest ‘living dinosaurs’. They were actually considered extinct until they were discovered on local offshore islands and introduced back onto the mainland in 2005 when a breeding programme was launched.
The stars of the show are obviously the 2 resident kiwi! Sadly I did not manage to visit Stewart Island or anywhere else to see a wild one so this was the next best thing for me. The iconic kiwi are endemic to New Zealand and the National Kiwi Centre in Hokitika is helping national conservation efforts. Pictures of them are forbidden as they must stay in the dark and you have to be quiet in the kiwi area.
The Hokitika Sign & Driftwood Beach
Hokitika Beach has vast amounts of driftwood due to the rapid rise of the Southern Alps directly from the coast, combined with high rainfall, which causes nearby rivers to flood and carry large amounts of timber into the Tasman Sea. This wood, along with ocean debris, is constantly washed back onto the shore by strong tides and storms. The beach is covered with driftwood and people build cool sculptures with them. The most famous is the Hokitika sign at the front of the beach. At night people tend to have bonfires on the beach as well which is a really cool sight.
Wander The Town & Visit The Art Street
Hokitika is a charming, historic town founded during the 1860s gold rush. It is known as the center for authentic West Coast greenstone, with a variety of studios you can visit to see carving. If you have time, spend an hour wandering round the town having a look in all the quaint little shops. The Art Street is located just behind the Hokitika driftwood sign, featuring lots of local artwork which is very cool to see.
Explore Hokitika Gorge
This is the most popular activity in Hokitika, and if you’re passing through and only have time for one thing, then make it be this. The gorge is a 30 minute drive outside of the main Hokitika town and there is a large car park with toilets when you arrive. The walk is a 2km loop and takes about an hour to an hour and a half, including many stops to enjoy the gorge of course.
Hokitika River, despite its often calm appearance, is dangerous in all weather and river conditions. There are sudden drop offs and strong currents so swimming is not advised, and sadly people have drowned here.
The startling blue colour is created when nearby glaciers grind down rocks, they create a fine, suspended powder that, when combined with clear water, scatters sunlight. This results in an exceptionally vivid blue-green colour which the gorge is so well-known for, making it without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in New Zealand.
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Thank you so much for reading this blog post! I hope it has encouraged you to visit this gem on the West Coast.
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