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.