In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From the ferry in Picton via Abel Tasman, the Buller Gorge, the Pancake Rocks and the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers over the Haast Pass to Wānaka: around 1,085 kilometres on New Zealand’s wildest coast road – with one-lane bridges, DOC campsites and sandflies as constant companions.
The spirit of the route
The West Coast of the South Island is a narrow strip between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps, and that is exactly how it drives: on one side surf, driftwood and spray, on the other tree ferns, rimu and kahikatea, and behind them snowy peaks rising out of the rainforest. Beyond Nelson the towns get smaller, the bridges narrower, and at some point you find yourself on a DOC meadow by a lakeshore, hearing nothing but tūī and rain on the roof. From the sliding door you see Mount Cook mirrored in Lake Matheson in the morning, and in the evening the sun sinking behind the limestone layers of Punakaiki. It rains a lot here, often heavily, and afterwards the forest steams and the waterfalls thunder. The road is the only link, and slips and floods are part of everyday life. If you drive slowly, plan buffer days and keep insect repellent within reach, you will experience a coast that has barely been tamed since the gold diggers.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Picton to Nelson (approx. 110 km)
- The drive
- After the crossing from Wellington through Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound, take SH6 via Linkwater and Havelock, then up the Pelorus valley to the Rai Saddle and down over the winding Whangamoa Saddle to Nelson. Well built, but with many tight bends, slow trucks and passing lanes on the climbs. Around 2 hours of pure driving time. The more scenic Queen Charlotte Drive between Picton and Havelock is narrow and very winding – with large campervans only in light traffic and without time pressure.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Pelorus Bridge Scenic Reserve: short walks through podocarp forest and swimming spots in the green Pelorus River below the old bridge.
- Havelock on the Marlborough Sounds, home port of the green-lipped mussel farms – a plate of mussels on the wharf is a must.
- Centre of New Zealand Walk up Botanical Hill in Nelson, with views over Tasman Bay and the city.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Nelson, the large Nelson Tahuna Beach Holiday Park in Tahunanui lies close to the beach: powered sites, kitchens, bathrooms, dump station. If you want to stop earlier, the DOC campground Pelorus Bridge (Serviced category) on the Pelorus River has a kitchen, hot showers and powered sites, but no dump station (the nearest is at the petrol station in Havelock); book online in advance all year round, especially from December to February.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Nelson City Council and Marlborough District Council allow freedom camping only at a few designated sites and only for certified self-contained vehicles with a green warrant; maximum numbers and a one-night stay usually apply. Around Picton’s ferry terminal and on Nelson’s beaches, sleeping in your vehicle is largely prohibited. CamperMate shows the current sites; signs on site take precedence.
- Insider tip for campers
- The ferries charge vehicles by length and height – when booking, state the total length including rear racks or bikes, otherwise you will be charged extra or rebooked at check-in. During the holidays around the turn of the year and on long weekends the vehicle decks book out early. Picton is the last larger town with a supermarket before the Rai Saddle; in Nelson, stock up for the West Coast, where supermarkets are scarce and more expensive.
2Stage 2: Nelson to Marahau (Abel Tasman) (approx. 70 km)
- The drive
- Take SH6 to Richmond, then SH60 past the Māpua turn-off and Motueka along Tasman Bay; from Riwaka, take the narrow, winding side road over the hill to Kaiteriteri and on to Marahau. About 1.25 hours. The road between Kaiteriteri and Marahau has tight bends and little room to pull over – drive slowly; in summer there is a lot of oncoming traffic with boat trailers.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Abel Tasman Coast Track from Marahau: the first section to Apple Tree Bay or Anchorage is doable as a day walk, returning by water taxi.
- Split Apple Rock (Tokangawhā), the split granite boulder in the bay north of Kaiteriteri – reached by a short path from a car park on the coast road.
- Kayak tours along the national park coast; book early in summer.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Marahau Beach Camp right at the entrance to the national park, or the large site on the beach at Kaiteriteri (Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve) with powered sites, kitchens and bathrooms. Both are heavily booked in December and January. Inside the national park there are only DOC campsites for hikers and kayakers, with no vehicle access.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Tasman District has severely restricted freedom camping by bylaw; sleeping in your vehicle is prohibited on the beaches of Kaiteriteri and Marahau, and this is enforced. Designated sites for certified vehicles tend to be off the beaten track; check in CamperMate.
- Insider tip for campers
- Shop and refuel in Motueka – Kaiteriteri and Marahau have only small shops. If you walk the Coast Track, park in Marahau in the paid car parks of the water taxi operators or leave the vehicle at the campground. This is where sandfly country begins: close the insect screens before dusk.
3Stage 3: Marahau to Lyell (Upper Buller Gorge) (approx. 180 km)
- The drive
- Back to Motueka, then on the quiet SH61 through the Motueka valley with hop gardens and orchards to Kohatu; there join SH6 over the Hope Saddle (lookout car park) to Murchison and on into the Upper Buller Gorge. Many long straights, some one-lane bridges, winding in the gorge with rock walls right beside the road. Around 2.5–3 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hope Saddle Lookout with views over the forests towards Nelson Lakes.
- Buller Gorge Swingbridge near Murchison, one of the longest swing bridges in the country, with short walks to traces of the 1929 earthquake.
- Lyell Historic Walk to the cemetery of the abandoned gold-mining town, a short path through the rainforest.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: DOC campsite Lyell on the site of the former gold-mining town, right on SH6: meadow by the river, toilets, untreated water (boil it), no power; fee as set by DOC. Some sites can be booked online, the rest are allocated on arrival – bring cash. This is also where the Old Ghost Road begins. If you need power, stay in Murchison at one of the holiday parks.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): On DOC land along the Buller Gorge, overnight stays are only permitted at designated campsites. Buller District allows freedom camping for certified vehicles only at certain sites, some with a stay limit; CamperMate shows the current ones.
- Insider tip for campers
- Refuel in Murchison: before Westport there are only small places such as Inangahua with no reliable supplies. There are hardly any shops on SH61. One-lane bridges: the large sign with the priority arrow shows who has right of way; the smaller red arrow means “give way”.
4Stage 4: Lyell to Punakaiki via Westport and Cape Foulwind (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- Down the valley through the Lower Buller Gorge to the coast: at Hawks Crag, SH6 runs as a single lane under an overhanging rock ledge along the river – keep tall bodywork to the river side and wait for oncoming traffic. From Westport, make a detour to Cape Foulwind, then take the coast road (Great Coast Road) south via Charleston to Punakaiki. Around 2.5 hours. The coast road is winding, built tight against cliffs and prone to rockfall and closures in storms and heavy rain.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Cape Foulwind Walkway to the lighthouse and the seal colony at Tauranga Bay, a good hour one way.
- Pancake Rocks and Blowholes at Dolomite Point in Punakaiki: most impressive at high tide with a westerly swell – check the tide tables.
- Truman Track to the cliffs with a waterfall on the beach, a short path through nīkau palms.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Punakaiki Beach Camp, a holiday park right behind the beach, a few minutes north of the Pancake Rocks: powered sites, kitchen, bathrooms. Small and quickly full in high season – book ahead.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Paparoa National Park surrounds Punakaiki; sleeping in your vehicle outside designated sites is prohibited there. The car parks at the Pancake Rocks are for day parking only. Buller District designates sites for certified vehicles, mostly near Westport and Charleston; check the current status in CamperMate.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up and shop in Westport – there are only small shops until Greymouth. On the Pororari River a flat riverside path lets you get to know the Paparoa forest, ideal for the evening. Sandflies are particularly numerous at river mouths; better to pack away outdoor chairs after sunset.
5Stage 5: Punakaiki to Lake Mahinapua via Greymouth and Hokitika (approx. 150 km)
- The drive
- Take SH6 along the coast to Greymouth, then across the flat coastal plain to Hokitika; detour via Kokatahi to Hokitika Gorge (sealed, around 33 km each way) and back to the coast to Lake Mahinapua south of Hokitika. About 2.5 hours of driving in total. Few climbs, but several one-lane bridges over wide, stony riverbeds.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Hokitika Gorge: turquoise glacial water between white rocks, a loop of around 1 hour with a swing bridge.
- Sunset Point and the driftwood beach in Hokitika; plus pounamu workshops in town where greenstone is carved in the Ngāi Tahu tradition.
- Mahinapua Walkway by the lake on an old railway line, short and flat.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: DOC campsite at Lake Mahinapua in the scenic reserve, around 10 km south of Hokitika: lakeside meadow, basic facilities, no power, take your rubbish with you; Standard category, advance online booking required. For more comfort, stay at the holiday parks in Hokitika or at Greymouth Seaside Top 10 by the sea.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Westland District allows freedom camping only at designated sites for certified vehicles, with signage and stay limits; the beach at Hokitika is patrolled. Grey District has its own rules – check on site in CamperMate.
- Insider tip for campers
- Greymouth is the best supply stop on the entire West Coast: supermarkets, petrol stations, gas bottle exchange, public dump station. Further south, fuel and food get more expensive. Go to Hokitika Gorge early – the tour buses arrive around midday.
6Stage 6: Lake Mahinapua to Franz Josef/Waiau (approx. 135 km)
- The drive
- SH6 runs via Ross and Harihari through pasture, rainforest and across numerous riverbeds, and from Whataroa back into dense forest. Winding especially between Harihari and Lake Mapourika. Around 2 hours; with the detour to Okarito (sealed, around 13 km each way) allow half a day.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Okarito: lagoon, Trig Walk with views of the Southern Alps, and kayak tours; the rare rowi kiwi lives in the forests.
- Lake Mapourika, a dark peat-water lake with reflections of the mountains in the morning.
- Ross Goldfields Heritage Walk in the old gold-mining town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Franz Josef/Waiau has several holiday parks, including Rainforest Retreat on the edge of town with powered sites in the forest and Franz Josef Top 10 at the northern entrance to town. Alternatively, the small community campground in Okarito, without power and with limited spaces.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Westland Tai Poutini National Park surrounds the glaciers: sleeping in your vehicle outside campgrounds and DOC campsites is prohibited, and the glacier car parks are for day visitors only. You should not stay overnight at the rest areas on SH6 either without a sign permitting it.
- Insider tip for campers
- The glacier walks depend on the weather and on the Waiho River: the path to the viewpoint in front of Franz Josef Glacier (Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere Walk) is closed in heavy rain. The DOC visitor centre on Cron Street and the region’s daily glacier access update give the current status. In the evening, the Glacier Hot Pools in town warm you up after a rainy day.
7Stage 7: Franz Josef/Waiau to Lake Paringa via Fox Glacier and Lake Matheson (approx. 100 km)
- The drive
- Over three steep ridges with tight bends to Fox Glacier (23 km), a detour to Lake Matheson and back, then south on SH6 through forest and across river flats past Bruce Bay to Lake Paringa. About 2 hours of pure driving time. The hills between Franz Josef and Fox are hard work for heavy campers – use a low gear downhill.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Lake Matheson (Te Ara Kairaumati): a loop of a good 1.5 hours; at the View of Views and Reflection Island, Aoraki/Mount Cook and Mount Tasman are mirrored in the water when it is calm in the early morning.
- Fox Glacier South Side Walkway: since flood and slip damage put an end to access via the valley, this path on the south side leads to a view of the glacier.
- Bruce Bay: a beach with white stones on which visitors write messages, and surf right next to the road.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: DOC campsite Lake Paringa right on the lake: meadow, basic facilities, no power; Standard category, fee as set by DOC, to be booked online in advance all year round. Fox Glacier Top 10 in town offers more comfort. The DOC campsite Gillespies Beach lies at the end of a narrow gravel road west of Fox – suitable only for smaller vehicles; check your rental agreement.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Much of the Fox – Haast section lies within the national park or on DOC land; overnight stays outside the campsites are not permitted. The DOC sites are the legal and inexpensive choice – including for vehicles without self-contained certification; many now require online booking before arrival.
- Insider tip for campers
- Set off for Lake Matheson before sunrise: from 9 am the wind usually picks up and the reflections are gone. Refuel in Fox Glacier – there is no petrol station on the roughly 120 km to Haast. Lake Paringa is known for sandflies; have dinner inside the vehicle and use insect repellent with DEET or picaridin.
8Stage 8: Lake Paringa to Wānaka via Haast and the Haast Pass (approx. 190 km)
- The drive
- South via Knights Point to the Haast River, over the long one-lane bridge with passing bays to Haast Junction, then inland through the Haast valley and over the Haast Pass (Tioripatea, a good 560 m) to Makarora and along Lakes Wānaka and Hāwea via The Neck to Wānaka. Around 3 hours. On the pass road, steep, winding sections alternate with one-lane bridges such as at the Gates of Haast. Unstable slopes such as those at Diana Falls repeatedly lead to closures or traffic-light or stop/go operation after heavy rain – check the road status beforehand.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ship Creek (Tauparikākā) north of Haast: two short walks through dune forest and kahikatea swamp forest, plus a lookout tower on the beach.
- Waterfalls on the pass: Thunder Creek Falls, Fantail Falls and the Blue Pools near Makarora, where clear glacial water flows over stone basins.
- The Neck between Lake Hāwea and Lake Wānaka, a viewpoint on SH6.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Wānaka: Wānaka Lakeview Holiday Park near the centre or Glendhu Bay Lakeside Holiday Park right on the lake west of town, with powered sites, kitchens and bathrooms. Along the way are the DOC campsites Pleasant Flat and Cameron Flat on the pass and Boundary Creek on Lake Wānaka.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Queenstown-Lakes District, freedom camping on public land is severely restricted; it is permitted only for certified self-contained vehicles in designated car parks (usually arrival after 6 pm, departure before 8 am, a maximum of 2 nights in 30 days) or subject to conditions on rural roads, and not at all in urban areas. Albert Town Campground on the Clutha River is a basic, paid site – check the conditions in advance. Wānaka is patrolled, and violations cost from NZ$400.
- Insider tip for campers
- Refuel in Haast before the pass (Makarora has only a small card-operated pump) and check the road status in the NZTA Journey Planner – SH6 is the only link, and a slip can close the pass for days. North of Haast, the active Epitaph slip at Knights Point is a well-known weak spot: it has closed SH6 again and again since 2012, most recently for around two weeks after storms in 2024 and for blasting work at the end of 2025; a permanent realignment is only at the planning stage. In heavy rain, expect closures and single-lane operation. Wānaka has supermarkets, a dump station and cheaper fuel than the West Coast.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Freedom camping in vehicles on council and other public land is governed by the Self-Contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023: since 7 June 2026 only the green warrant is valid – the transition period for private vehicles was extended from 2025 to 2026, while rental vehicles have needed it since 7 December 2024; blue warrants are no longer recognised. Among other things, certification requires a vehicle to have a fixed toilet – vehicles with a portable cassette toilet no longer receive a green warrant.
- If you camp without certification or in prohibited places, you will receive an infringement notice; the fee has been raised from NZ$200 to NZ$400. For rental vehicles, fines are passed on by the rental company, usually with an additional processing fee.
- Each district (Marlborough, Nelson, Tasman, Buller, Grey, Westland, Queenstown-Lakes) has its own freedom camping bylaw with permitted, restricted and prohibited zones, stay limits and maximum numbers. Signs on site take precedence. DOC land has its own rules; in the Abel Tasman, Paparoa and Westland Tai Poutini national parks, overnight stays are only permitted at campsites.
- DOC campsites (Serviced, Scenic, Standard and Basic categories) are the legal alternative, even without certification; many, including Pelorus Bridge, Lake Mahinapua and Lake Paringa, must be booked online in advance, while others still have sites without reservation. Apps: CamperMate (zones, dump stations, road notices) and WikiCamps; the DOC website for campsites and track closures.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump stations for grey and black water are available in Picton, Nelson, Motueka, Westport, Greymouth, Hokitika and Wānaka, often at petrol stations or council sites, some for a fee. Between Hokitika and Wānaka they are scarce – avoid full tanks. Never drain grey water onto the ground.
- Drinking water: usually drinkable at holiday parks and dump stations; at DOC campsites water is often untreated – heed the “treat before drinking” notice and boil it.
- LPG: New Zealand uses POL connections; bottles are exchanged or refilled at petrol stations, but only with a valid test date. Rental campers come with their own bottles; foreign bottles are not refilled.
- Fuel: around 120 km without a petrol station between Fox Glacier and Haast, and between Haast and Wānaka (around 140 km) only a small card-operated pump in Makarora; Murchison–Westport is also sparsely served. Prices on the West Coast are well above city levels – fill up in Nelson, Greymouth and Wānaka.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Drive on the left; the open-road speed limit is 100 km/h for vehicles up to 3.5 t and 90 km/h for heavier motorhomes and vehicles towing, usually 50 km/h in towns, lower at roadworks and schools. If you have a queue behind you, let it pass at slow vehicle bays and pull-over areas – the West Coast has many short passing opportunities.
- One-lane bridges: the blue sign with a large white arrow shows right of way; the round, red-bordered sign with a small red arrow means “give way”. The bridge over the Haast River has passing bays; wait there, do not turn back on the bridge.
- There are no toll roads on this route. Blood alcohol limit 0.5 ‰ from age 20, 0.0 below that; handheld phone use while driving is prohibited.
- Animals: herds of cattle and sheep on the road, weka at rest areas, possums at night; when stock is being moved, drive at walking pace and stop.
- Rental campers: agreements often exclude gravel roads or individual routes, and insurance does not apply there; underbody damage and stone chips are often excluded – check before trips such as to Gillespies Beach. The road status (slips, flooding, closures on SH6) is shown in the NZTA Journey Planner.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Insect repellent with DEET or picaridin, long trousers and tight-fitting insect screens for door and windows – the sandflies on the West Coast, at Paringa and at Haast are persistent.
- Good rain gear and gaiters: the West Coast gets several metres of rain a year, and walking tracks are often wet.
- Water filter or a container of boiled water for DOC campsites without drinking water.
- Tide tables or an app for the Pancake Rocks, the beaches and Gillespies Beach.
- Charging cables and offline maps: between Fox and Wānaka and in the Buller Gorge there are long stretches without mobile coverage.
- Printed bookings for the ferry and DOC campsites – site and vehicle length are checked.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
