Rugged West Coast

The road along the rugged West Coast might be the most beautiful in the world. Caught in the clouds between the crashing waves of the Tasman and the high peaks of the Southern Alps, Highway 6 twists and curls through an ancient rainforest, pausing now and then to take in the epic coastal views. Tucked in the hills are abandoned gold mines and caves littered with the bones of the moa (a giant extinct flightless bird). Stop at Pancake Rocks to watch the sea clash into cliffs and spout high through rocky blowholes.

You will stop at the glaciers. Fox and Franz Joseph Glaciers are unlike anything you’ve ever seen–miles of cracked and towering ice slowly rolling downhill through a rainforest. Glacier hike in a t-shirt. Or take a scenic flight or helicopter ride. Relax in the evening at the hot pools. Or sneak in one last adventure, quad-biking through the woods before sunset.

New Zealand Top Activities:

Glacier hiking by helicopter
Driving the beautiful coastal highway
Walking through an ancient rainforest