Hokitika Beach

Hokitika is the only town centre on the West Coast located by the beach. And what a beach it is! Rough, strewn with driftwood and boasting beautiful sunsets and views, plus awesome views of New Zealand’s highest mountain, Aoraki/Mt Cook. Every year in January, Hokitika holds an annual Driftwood & Sand Festival where pieces of art are created out of all the driftwood. Now in it's 13th year past works have included a giant hand, a large bird, a huge fish hook, an eel, a cube, a dancer and a life-sized turtle.

Kids love scouring the sand for pounamu, washed down from nearby rivers too.