The West Coast is one of NZ's most captivating yet diverse regions, and travelling the entire 500km length you'll find incredible reflective lakes, hidden river valleys, rugged mountains & glaciers, lush and varied forest, and unique coastal seascapes. Size wise, it is one of NZ's largest regions at over 23,000 square kilometres yet the fact it holds less than 1% of the population means it retains a remote and untouched feel, and you'll often feel you have the whole place to yourself! If you want bang for buck for photography locations, you won't find a more varied set of landscapes than what the West Coast offers.
The most scenic route to get to the West Coast from the eastern side of the island is to take one of the 2 alpine passes that straddle the Southern Alps range: Arthurs Pass (from Christchurch) or Haast Pass (from Wanaka & the south). I personally LOVE both the Arthurs Pass and Haast Pass drives as there are so many scenic locations to stop and photograph on your way through.
The journey through Arthurs Pass will take you past Castle Hill and Cave Stream, as well as scenic waterfalls in Arthurs Pass Village (Avalanche Creek and Devils Punchbowl Falls) and the Otira Gorge viaduct. This route will bring you out just south of Greymouth for easy access to the northern half of the Coast.
The journey through Haast Pass will take you past several stunning river locations on the journey from Wanaka to Haast: Cameron Flat & the Blue Pools, Gates of Haast, Fantail Falls and Thunder Creek Falls.
Further north you can also access the West Coast from Lewis Pass or the Nelson Lakes region although I'd argue these roads aren't as scenic to travel as the passes.
It's pretty impossible to rank the incredible places you'll find on the West Coast so let's just make the journey from north to south to take you through the most stunning locations to photograph and visit. Click on the map below to see where all the locations are.
Possibly the most remote location on this must-visit list but oh so worth it for the unique scenery and wildlife. Two hours north of Westport or 45 minutes north of Karamea, you'll find the winding, steep 4WD track into the Oparara area. You might survive with a 2WD (if it has high clearance) but it's definitely not the place to take a van or campervan. I've been here a few times, choosing to stay in Karamea once and doing the day return trip from Westport as well.
Native birds abound here, I've seen and heard weka, kaka, robins and more. The undulating circular loop track that takes you past the Mirror Tarn and down to the cave of the Moria Gate Arch is about 1 hour to walk without stopping for photos. It's not a hard track but there is definitely some up and down that you'll notice carrying all your gear.
The mirror tarn has to be one of the most stunning, reflective examples native forest you'll encounter anywhere in New Zealand.
The track down into the Moria Gate Arch does involve a bit of clambering down some steps cut into rock but there is a chain to hold into and if you go backwards and take your time it isn't difficult. Once down in the cave, you have options to shoot in either direction, and if you shoot wide enough with a multi-image shot you can actually fit the whole view in. Because it is really dark in the cave and bright outside, I recommend shooting exposure bracketed shots to achieve a higher dynamic range for editing, but with flowing water in the scene you'll also want to be careful with your shutter speeds so that the shots blend well.
If there is one place that people put on a West Coast itinerary, this is it. The unusual limestone rock formations look like a pancake stack, and the circular 20 minute loop walk takes in many different view points. If you manage to time it with high tide, you might be treated to a spectacular sight when the blowhole pushes water up in a big spray of air (I've yet to see it). I personally enjoy sunset here as the best views look up and down the coast so you usually don't have to shoot directly into the sun.
Even on a moody day Punakaiki gives some great options for shooting, and a totally different feel!
A short distance up the road is the Porarari River walk, and it's about 20 minutes up to the river viewpoint (this is actually the start/end of the Paparoa Track) and features stunning river and tropical forest views.
On the other side of the road is the Truman Track which takes you out to a coastal viewpoint with an interesting overhang and there are often temporary waterfalls if you visit after fresh rain.
Another five minutes up the road is the elevated Irimahuwhero Lookout which gives stunning views up the coast, and is totally worth the stop.
This beach used to be a bit of a hidden secret, but it has gained in popularity and legend. It's a little tricky to get to, as you have to walk around a headland that is only accessible at low tide, and to get the starfish on the reef in your composition, you usually need to be standing out on the reef, which can be a little treacherous even at low tide, depending on the tide height and swell. I've only been here twice and experienced quite different conditions both times, with much more sand on the shore the second time making it easier to shoot good compositions from further back. The easiest way to access the beach is to park north of the headland in a pull-in area and walk down the beach, it takes about half an hour, but you do need to time your visit well for the water to be low enough to get around the rocks on the headland.
There are a number of different views to shoot from including some caves and arches near the headland as well which make a good frame for the scene.
There is an unofficial track through the bush down to the beach south of the beach, which I've walked part way down but found it a bit sketchy and didn't continue all the way, you might have more mountain goat skills than me though!
You also do need to be a bit careful if you venture out onto the reef as the waves do wash over here so knee high waterproof footwear like gumboots is a good idea, and keeping your wits about you while shooting as well!
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And if you find the tides are not in your favour to walk out to the beach, you can always shoot from further away on the beach, or from the road areas both north or south of the headland for some different compositions.
I would put Hokitika Gorge in my Top 10 NZ locations to photograph in NZ, not just the West Coast. The colour of the water here has to be seen to be believed, though it's not a guarantee to see the vivid aqua blue colour, for example I don't recommend visiting after recent heavy rain. At the time of writing, the shorter track to the Gorge is out of action as there is a bridge that needs replacing, but the longer walk only takes half an hour and takes you through lovely forest and gives you a glimpse of the views up the valley as well.
This place is a firm favourite location of NZ's most ferocious of creatures the sandfly, so be sure to lather yourself in repellant and be prepared to swat them away constantly while visiting! The view point over the gorge makes a good vantage for compositions, but it is also worth wandering down around the rocks as well to include the stunning white rocks in your foreground.
On the main road south, you'll find the turnoff to Okarito, and though it is a 20 minute or so drive out to the coast from here, it's worth it for the views back across to the Southern Alps from the lagoon, on a good day you can even see the peak of Aoraki to the south from the trees here. I recommend coming here on a high tide so that the boat shed is actually under water, so that if it is calm you can get reflections.
Only a five minute drive north of Franz Josef is Lake Mapourika, it appears to be just a small llake from the enclosed area you can see from the carpark, but it is actually pretty large. Shooting from the jetty area on a misty morning (these are a regular occurence here) makes for some atmospheric scenes especially in winter.
I also highly recommend taking a trip out on Lake Mapourika with Franz Josef Wilderness Tours for the best views and a fantastic wildlife experience.
The tour takes you across the lake and there is a short walk on a headland where you can experience any number of native birds - I've done this trip three times and seen a variety of NZ birds each time. There's also the opportunity to get some lovely reflections of the NZ native forest and intimate details.
When approaching Lake Mapourika from the north, stop in at the McDonalds campground area first for good views across the lake with the Alps presiding above.
The two most well known Glaciers in New Zealand are Franz Josef and Fox Glacier, they're about half an hour's drive apart. Franz Josef is the bigger of the towns, to get to the glacier itself you have to drive about 5 minutes further south, and take the road inland. With the huge retreat of the glaciers (in the past 100 years they've retreated 3km), it is no longer possible to get to the glacier face without taking a helicopter ride with one of the local guiding companies and you can't actually see the glacier from the carpark.
There are a couple of short walks that are worth doing in the area though, the 10 minute walk to Peters Pool will take you to a small, sheltered tarn with pristine reflections of the mountains above, I've shot here several times (including at sunrise) and have always been rewarded with beautiful results. If you want to get a small glimpse of the glacier, take the Sentinel Rock walk - it's about 20 minutes each way.
Another way to get up close and personal with the glaciers is to spend a night up there! There are several huts you can take a helicopter ride to, but you do need to be fully self-sufficient if you plan to do this. The closest hut is Chancellor Hut (only a 5 minute ride from Fox Glacier), sitting at 1200 metres elevation. Looking down the valley at sunset is quite the sight, though we got a bit more than we bargained on with thigh deep snow on our visit! The snow made for some epic night images, but was quite hard to wander around, and though we could hear the kea, the thick snow seemed to keep them from coming closer to visit us.
Other huts you can helicopter to stay at are Pioneer Hut (also above Fox Glacier but much higher at 2,300m), Almer Hut (situated at 1700m with excellent views down the Franz Josef glacier and up to the high peaks) and Centennial Hut at 2400 metres which sits way up on highest of the huts, almost among the high peaks of the Alps. It is worth noting that you may require alpine skills to safely visit and stay in these huts due to the likelihood of crevasses and unstable terrain, so be mindful of this before making a trip up here.
Lake Matheson would also feature in my Top 10 places to visit in NZ, I absolutely love the views of Aoraki Mt Cook and Mt Tasman reflected in the dark, tannin stained waters of Lake Matheson. The most famous composition from here is at Reflection Island (about a 30 minute walk from the carpark), where there is a little platform that juts out into the lake. It's hard to say whether I prefer sunrise or sunset here as both are magical, but generally you'll find the conditions a bit calmer at sunrise and potentially more ethereal mist floating around, you'll also find that the light comes in sideways to light up the peaks.
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Sunsets in midwinter create the most unusual alpenglow over the mountains as the sun sinks at a 180 degree angle to the mountains lighting up the peaks in quite the display of different tones throughout golden hour and sunset.
The lookout from the View of Views also gives a different angle with more opportunities to frame the mountains with forest foliage.
It's also worth getting a long lens out to get close up shots of the peaks (Mt Tasman in this case) as well.
For more on Lake Matheson check out Lake Matheson: A Guide to the Best Reflections in NZ.
I also find the road that leads to the carpark gives some really lovely compositions if you want to use the farmland and trees as foreground, without having to make the walk all the way into the lake, the beauty of shooting from here is that you can shoot in multiple directions as well.
Further down the road, you can also get a good view of Fox Glacier from the Glacier Viewpoint carpark across the fields.
If you carry on 45 minutes south from Fox Glacier on State Highway 6 then the next time you reach the coast, you'll be rewarded with the unique beach and foreshore at Bruce Bay. Hundreds of native rimu trees line the beach and during golden hour the trees are lit up beautifully, often accompanied by sea spray along the coast to further enhance the scene. This is another spot where the vicious sandfly is likely to find you very appealing, so I recommend covering up or dousing yourself in repellant!
The beach is photogenic in all kinds of different moods, and I always find something to love about the shots I've taken here.
If you really want to get a sense of the scale of the Southern Alps that run the length of the West Coast, there's no better way than taking a scenic flight (either from Fox/Franz Josef) or from the eastern side of the Divide departing from Lake Tekapo or Mt Cook. I've taken several sunset flights with Air Safaris over the area from both sides of the mountain, and I highly recommend going during the evening golden hour where the peaks often peek out from above the layers of cloud that hang on the West Coast. Seeing the face of NZ's tallest peaks up close and personal is quite a spiritual experience, and one that will stay with you long after your feet are firmly back on the ground.
Though I've listed my favourite locations above, there are plenty more worth exploring that I have captured on my various trips to the West Coast. If you want to add other locations to your itinerary consider adding Lake Brunner, Lake Ianthe, Lake Mahinapua, Lake Kaniere & Dorothy Falls, Munro Bay - famous for sightings of NZ's Fiordland (Tiwaki) Penguins, Gillespies Beach, Ship Creek, Lake Paringa, Cape Foulwind, the White Heron Sanctuary at Whataroa, Waiatoto River Safari, Jackson Bay, Lake Wahapo and Callery Gorge.
As this is such a vast and varied region with more than 500km to travel from end to end, if you want to do it justice I recommend spending at least a week here. For good places to base yourself, I recommend the Greymouth area for access to Hokitika Gorge, Punakaiki, and Motukiekie. If you decide to go as far north as Oparara, you may want to stay closer in Westport or Karamea. For access to the Glaciers and south, try accommodation in Fox or Franz Josef Glaciers.
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