Hokitika – the cool little town
Hokitika is the hub of Westland and is a small town with a welcoming, cosmopolitan vibe. Home of the annual Hokitika Wildfoods Festival, the South Island Ute Muster and many other popular events including an annual Children’s Day celebration, the Driftwood and Sand exhibition on Hokitika beach and the Midwinter Lantern Parade.
Hokitika has a vibrant arts community, and frequent musical and theatrical productions (including an annual Westland High School production) are enjoyed by locals at venues such as the Old Lodge Theatre and Hokitika’s Regent Theatre.
This town of 3,500 people is the only town on the entire West Coast which is serviced by daily Air New Zealand flights.
Many popular bushwalks, lakes and outdoor attractions are within 35 minutes of Hokitika including Lake Kaniere, Dorothy Falls, Hokitika Gorge and Lake Mahinapua. Other popular outdoor activities include whitebaiting, golf, equestrian, hunting and fishing.
Hokitika is also the centre of dairy processing on the West Coast. Westland Milk Products has the only milk processing plant on the West Coast, and is one of the District’s largest employers.
Hokitika is a small town with a busy economy. With the growth of tourism in more recent years, significant growth in other industries including accommodation, outdoor recreation businesses and pounamu carving has emerged.
Hokitika is just a 1.5 hours away by car from the Glaciers.
Find out more about things to see and do in Hokitika including a calendar of popular annual events. You can also read more about the wider West Coast region
Hokitika is the hub of Westland and is a small town with a welcoming, cosmopolitan vibe. Home of the annual Hokitika Wildfoods Festival, the South Island Ute Muster and many other popular events including an annual Children’s Day celebration, the Driftwood and Sand exhibition on Hokitika beach and the Midwinter Lantern Parade.
Hokitika has a vibrant arts community, and frequent musical and theatrical productions (including an annual Westland High School production) are enjoyed by locals at venues such as the Old Lodge Theatre and Hokitika’s Regent Theatre.
This town of 3,500 people is the only town on the entire West Coast which is serviced by daily Air New Zealand flights.
Many popular bushwalks, lakes and outdoor attractions are within 35 minutes of Hokitika including Lake Kaniere, Dorothy Falls, Hokitika Gorge and Lake Mahinapua. Other popular outdoor activities include whitebaiting, golf, equestrian, hunting and fishing.
Hokitika is also the centre of dairy processing on the West Coast. Westland Milk Products has the only milk processing plant on the West Coast, and is one of the District’s largest employers.
Hokitika is a small town with a busy economy. With the growth of tourism in more recent years, significant growth in other industries including accommodation, outdoor recreation businesses and pounamu carving has emerged.
Hokitika is just a 1.5 hours away by car from the Glaciers.
Find out more about things to see and do in Hokitika including a calendar of popular annual events. You can also read more about the wider West Coast region.