Hokitika is located on wild West Coast of the South Island. It started life as a ‘boom town’. First came the Maori in search of greenstone. Then came the Europeans in search of gold. These days, tourists come in search of scenery, history and adventure. Surrounded by rainforest and wetlands, Hokitika has the Tasman Sea to the east and Arthurs Pass National Park the west. And to the south lies the South Westland Heritage National Park.
Today, Hokitika is a thriving arts and crafts center featuring greenstone factories open to the public where local carvers create jewellery and sculptures from slabs of greenstone.
