Hokitika is a small coastal town around 2 hours north of Franz Josef on the west coast of the South Island.

This was our stop over place after our drive from Christchurch and it proved to be a lovely spot.

We arrived to find a driftwood competition on the beach with numerous driftwood sculptures strewn along the beach, each numbered to allow your votes to be cast!

There was no lack of imagination on show…

We sat to watch the sunset whilst eating our fish and chips along with a beer or two.

A 40mins drive inland from the town takes you to Hokitika Gorge.

The water in the gorge is a stunning colour and if you can take a short walk along the pathway and across a footbridge to a viewpoint and a walkway down to some rocks. Here you can take a dip into the cold water if you wish!

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Next stop is Franz Josef and the Glacier Highway.