Westland District

The terrain of Westland District ranges from low coastal plains beside the Tasman Sea in the west to glaciated slopes of the Southern Alps in the east, creating sharp contrasts over short distances. Westland Tai Poutini National Park covers a large part of this wet, mountainous coast and includes the valleys below Franz Josef Glacier/Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere and Fox Glacier/Te Moeka o Tuawe. Hokitika, the district’s main town, expanded during the West Coast gold rush of the 1860s, and that heritage remains part of the region’s identity. The Māori name Te Tai Poutini reflects the coast’s enduring association with pounamu, a prized taonga. Browse additional webcams from the West Coast to extend your view of Westland District.

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