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north westland
If you want to go deeper, steeper, wetter
and wilder in the wilderness this is the place for you.
North Westland has almost limitless adventure possibilities -
whitewater rafting, underground tube rafting, heli-rafting, jet
boating, caving, mountain biking and horse trekking.
The narrow coastal margin from Karamea down to Westport and
Punakaiki is famous for its dramatic seascapes and spectacular
pancake rocks and blowholes. But beyond the towering limestone
bluffs is an amazing hinterland of karst landscapes, caves,
canyons and sculptures within the remote Kahurangi and Paparoa
National Parks.
The Karamea River penetrates the Kahurangi wilderness, producing
Grade 4 - 5 rapids of awesome intensity through a difficult gorge
and over many earthquake slips. The huge, unruly rapids are often
bank to bank in the gorge making this multi-day rafting trip a
must for extreme thrillseekers. Commercial operators based in
Blenheim, Murchison, Greymouth and Hanmer Springs will helicopter
you in to the start of this untamed rollercoaster ride. Easier
Grade 2 canoe trips down the lower reaches can be arranged at
Karamea as well as a quiet paddle through weird limestone
formations on the Pororari River.
The much larger and equally challenging Buller River drains the
idyllic Nelson Lakes National Park, rushing violently through
convoluted granite gorges and plunging over the Ariki Falls - the
largest volume waterfall commercially rafted in New Zealand. The
Buller is often rated as the ‘Best of the West’ being
one of the longest, wildest, action-packed white-knuckle
whitewater trips in the country. The sound of the sensational
raging rapids will continue to ring in your ears for months -
‘O’Sullivans’, ‘Whale Creek’,
‘Ariki Falls’! Buller River rafting specialists are
based in Blenheim, Murchison and Greymouth. One Greymouth company
also runs heli-raft trips to the Upper Grey and Arnold rivers.
The Mokihnui River, three hour, Grade 3 run from the upper forks
down towards Seddonville is also rated in the top ten South
Island rivers.
River kayaking on the West Coast tends to be restricted to short
Grade 1 - 2 stretches on the plains. The upper reaches are so
steep and fast that they are generally the preserve of expert and
extreme paddlers who helicopter into the headwaters.
Some say that this region is the ‘Jewel of the West
Coast’. Full-on whitewater gurus would no doubt agree.
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