Mike Yardley: Winter adventures on the South Island's Great Coast Road

Every time I take a drive on the South Island’s Great Coast Road (SH6), between Westport and Greymouth, it never fails to cast me under its spell. It’s like a heady, implausible mix of Hawai’i and Ireland; of Maui’s Road to Hana and the Wild Atlantic Way. On one side, the raw, unbridled foam-flecking power of the ocean tempest; while across the road, fortress-like mountains piercing the sky, draped in thick, lush rainforest. It’s a knock-out medley of elemental scenery to thrill all senses. Curiously, the winter months are arguably the best time to savour the Great Coast Road because visitor numbers are thinner yet the weather is typically better. Winter is often the West Coast's driest season with average winter temperatures generally higher than Christchurch and Queenstown.

If you’re launching your on-road exploratory from Westport, make a date with one of the Pounamu Pathway experience centres. Westport’s revitalised Coaltown Museum has reopened as the Museum of Kawatiri, the second experience centre to open along the Pounamu Pathway. Designed and created by Wētā Workshop, it’s a stirring celebration of the heritage and intrepid endeavour of the Buller people, underpinned by the lure of pounamu, coal and gold. As you’d expect from Wētā Workshop, there’s a lot of tricked-up technological wizardry powering this immersive experience.  

Heading south along the Great Coast Road, four seasons in one day vividly powered proceedings, with forbidding storm clouds scudding across the sky before yielding to bright sunshine along the gloriously carved coastline, seemingly under assault from the pounding surf. The highway skirts the ancient limestone cliffs of Paparoa National Park and there’s a feast of outdoorsy treats to pick and choose from, along the way. If you’re up for some hikes, my first suggestion would be Fox River and the Inland Pack Track, starting from the car park at the mouth of the river. Built in 1867 during the gold rush to avoid dangerous coastal travel, the Inland Pack Track gives access to some of the finest features of Paparoa National Park. If the weather is behaving, a great sampler is the 4 hour return walk to the Ballroom Overhang, a colossal 100-metre-long limestone outcrop, that has provided a safe place to shelter for centuries. There are several river crossings along the way, only ankle-deep unless there’s been heavy rain. But if the weather has been fine, it’s a gem. 

Another salivating option that isn’t so weather-dependent is the Pororari River Gorge loop walk. Doubling as the entry/exit point for the Paparoa Great Walk, the river track follows a spectacular limestone gorge with two main features – a river with huge rocks set amongst deep pools, and beautiful forest featuring subtle changes from subtropical to temperate. It’s a two-hour walk, running the gamut across every shade of green. Even the gently flowing water resembles liquid jade. It’s a drop-dead gorgeous walk. Keep an eye out for those famous giant snails, Powelliphanta. Their oversized shells come in an array of patterned colours, from reds and browns to yellow and black. (Hurricanes supporters.) They adore earthworms and suck them up through their mouth just like we do with spaghetti.   

Back on the highway, the karst-strewn landscape of Punakaiki is just five minutes away. Nestled at the base of the thickly forested Paparoa Ranges, the hillsides are thickly stitched in rimu, beech and matai trees, in addition to the striking nikau palms. The national park’s visitor information centre is situated on the highway roadside – and after its $40m the monumental transformation, it’s now home to the Paparoa Experience. Opened 18 months ago and operated by the local hapu, Ngāti Waewae, this magnificent multi-media exhibition centre was designed by Gibson International. Blending Māori culture with history and geology, it’s beautifully crafted and thoroughly entertaining, thrusting you deep into the natural riches of the area, offering all manner of insights on the formation of the Paparoa range, the incredible fossil records like the 30 million year old whale backbone and the karst landscape beneath your feet. A great touch is the blowhole encounter, where you stand inside the surge chamber to feel the blast of wind and waves. But what I really loved is the  180-degree cinematic experience that transports you deep into the wild wonder of Paparoa National Park, celebrating the untouched beauty of the region and the conservation programmes underway to preserve it for future generations. 

Right across the road, the biggest blockbuster of all is of course an intimate encounter with nature’s theatre at Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. remarkable geological formations, which resemble layer upon layer of pancakes, is the result of many centuries of weathering. The formal term for this fantastic tableau is stylobedding.  When the tide is high, nature’s inter-play of stone and sea is operatic, with the ocean surging into the caverns and booming ferociously through the blowholes. Even the showy waterworks of Las Vegas or Dubai struggle to match this multi-sensory spectacle. Once again, the winter months make this a far less peopled experience. Peckish? Head straight to the Pancake Rocks Café and whistle up their Pancake Stack. It would be rude not to. 

Freshly fuelled, there’s more enchanting hiking options on offer in the area, but the one trail not to miss is the 30 minute Truman Track, which weaves its way through pristine native forest, taking you right to the edge of the Tasman Sea coastline, with a dramatic seascape. It’s a banger of a bush walk starting off the highway in a thick forest of podocarp and rātā trees towering above thickets of vine and nīkau palms. The track then transitions through typical West Coast coastal flax flats before climaxing with that blow-your-hair-back seascape, with a sweeping viewing platform elevated above the cliff overhangs and booming ocean.  

Those overhangs are unstable sandstone bluffs. Previously topped with limestone, that has already been weathered away and now the sandstone remains under relentless attack. A stairway provides access to the beach at low tide, but do not trifle with the ocean at high tide or when the seas are rough. If you’re wondering, the track is named in honour of Jim Truman who ran Truman’s Department Store in Greymouth. He had a bach opposite the original track which he substantially enhanced.  

Just before Rapahoe and Runanga, on the approach to Greymouth, one of the money-shot lookout points on the Great Coast Road is the roadside stop by the Strongman Mine Memorial. The immense coastal vista is operatic, with the long sprawl of 9 Mile Beach unfurling before you. Look closely from this lookout and you’ll spot a tucked away property, set back from the beach on a terrace, surrounded by ravishing nature’s embrace. Best of all, you can stay here! Strung across two acres, Breakers Boutique Accommodation began life as Dr. Barry Dallas’ house in the 1970s. He was a Greymouth doctor and also served as Mayor. The story goes that this was Harbour Board land and wasn’t meant to have been built on. But hey, when you’re the mayor….! 

Fast forward to today and after many renovations, Jan and Stephen Roberts are the owners of this dreamy property, with dress-circle views over the pounding ocean and the sublime canvas of 9 Mile Beach. There’s a variety of accommodation offerings on-site, all very high-spec, stylish and homely, including in the main house, overlooking nature’s pageantry. An adjacent wing includes the Nikau Sunset Room, boasting a supremely cosy super-king bed, luxurious bedding and linens and comfortable sitting area, perfectly-positioned for viewing splendour. The guestroom is decorated in warm neutral colourings, using native recycled timbers and beach stones. 

Be sure to make time to admire the rich trove of art on display around the property, showcasing some of the finest creatives in the area, including Shades of Jade in Greymouth. Their master carver is Jeremy Dalziel. Greymouth’s Leftbank Gallery and Punakaiki Crafts are also prominent, as are Kotuku Pottery’s exquisite pieces. 

Jan and Stephen are the most splendid hosts and environmental guardians, somehow managing to distil the essence of gold-standard West Coast hospitality, with a glorified art gallery of local works, including Stephen’s magnificent photography; a profusion of first-hand tips on the best walking trails to explore; and on-site dining. Jan whipped me up the most divine homemade pizza for dinner and laid-on a generous breakfast offering, fortifying me for the day ahead. 

A private track leads down from the Breakers property to Nine Mile Beach. Nine Mile Creek flows down by the bottom of the track, which is backed by a fabulous waterfall. At low tide, dabble in the rock pools at Mussel Point, replete with colourful starfish and millions of mussels. There’s also a little blue penguin colony on this beach, which Breakers actively supports through the West Coast Penguin Trust. In-the-know advanced surfers also adore this beach because it has a powerful left break. But I was quite content to remain languid, luxuriating and lounging above the beach, feasting on the ocean panorama as a famed fireball sunset set the Tasman Sea ablaze. Needless to say, it’s a photographic feast. Bask in the brilliance of Breakers Beachfront Accommodation. It embodies the best of the West. You will never want to leave. www.breakers.co.nz 

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s resident traveller and can be heard each week on Saturday Mornings with Jack Tame. 

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