Sat, 21st Mar, 2026 (part1) Freedom camp, Kakapotahi-Waitaha River mouth to Blaketown Quay camp, Greymouth, NZ (Gold history & Hokitika)

15 degrees and overcast. Spitting with rain so we had a nice sleep-in. Didn’t hear the other vehicles leave.

Headed back out. The clouds are low on the mountains.

Misty rain as we continued along. Upstream then downstream of Kakapotahi River.

Back on the highway heading northward.

Back over the Kakapotahi River - looking downstream. Pulled off to check out a historical monument for the surveyors for opening up Westland.

View across to the hill where were camped on on the other side of .

On the other side of the ‘car park’ was steps and another plaque - Gateway to Southern Westland 1865-1965. Hard to read. The other was inspiration - “To the Past a Tribute, To the Present a Memory, To the Future an Inspiration.”

Across the Mikonui River, close to the sea here.

Heavier rain as we near the turn off to Ross Beach - no good in this weather. Continued on the highway heading inland to Ross.

Into Ross - still raining. Got the history info off the plaques which had a roof over it. Largest nugget found here 3.6kg - nice.

Up the road past the historic Empire Hotel was built in 1866. Then the old Bank which is the info centre and museum. Nice mural on the side. Too wet for the walks today so we decided to keep going.

At the top of the hill we look down on the lake made from the gold mining days.

Three wet cyclists rode into town as we headed out.

Continued on through bush and farms and the low rain clouds. More lay-over trees.

The rain lessened as we turn back to the coast and head to Ruatapu and Mananui Beaches. Into Mahinapua - nice saying on the hotel.

There is a lake inland from town - Lake Mahinapua. Nice driver through jungle to get to it.

Nice area with lots of information and a grassy DOC camping area though might get boggy in this rain.

Walked down to the water’s edge and found the old steamer near the jetty.

Misty rain again as we drove back to the main road and lovely green pastures. Over the Mahinapua Creek bridge - lots of flax growing along the edge.

Old railway bridge beside it. A caravan - don’t see many of these.

Continued on then right turn just before the main road bridge to Hokitika township. We continued upstream along the south side of Hokitika River then past the old bridge and up the hill to another historic gold area of Woodstock (changed to Rimu in 1882) - NZ’s last gold rush.

Past the old Royal Mail Hotel. It was first built in 1870 on Clements Road as Gaylor’s Hotel. When the road was put through to Ross in 1878 the Woodstock Hotel (as it was known) was jacked up, then rolled on empty beer barrels and pulled by horses 200 yards up the hill to this location to catch the mail coach route. The older 1866 pub was crushed by a falling Rimu tree, which gives the road its name. Continued up the hill to the lookout.

Nice view even with the clouds - what it would look like on a sunny day closer to winter by the amount of snow on the Southern Alps.

History boards and old relics.

As we headed back to the camper I found another board which shows what this road looked like back in the 1880s.

Back down the hill, at the old Royal Mail Hotel we turned right then along to a freedom camp spot by a sporting reserve.

Across the road to the old tunnels from the gold prospecting days (the lookout is above us). The sign has seen better days but I could make just out the words. ‘As the easy gold was worked out one way to reach the hidden paydirt was by digging tunnels. Scores of tunnels, some 700 to 800 metres long, were driven into all the terraces fronting Woodstock and beneath the township itself. The tunnels here were driven through sandstone during the Great Depression of the early 1930s, one for gold, the others as tail races to carry away the spoil sluiced from gullies upstream, now the watercourse for the creek. Tunnels were hit and miss but this one missed the gold and left the miners unrewarded for all their toil.’ Followed the track into the creek then across a little bridge to the tunnels.

Back along the edge of the river to the main highway. Just before the bridge we turned off to the left to check out a historic site - South Western Air Service site (1932-52).

Back onto the highway and across the bridge over the Hokitika River.

Big Westgold Butter factory on the inland side.

Into town and down the street to a lovely old town clock.

Left around a government looking building - statute of RJ Seddon out the front.

Found a park on Pierson Esplanade by the river and went wandering. Lots of big billboards about whitebaiting. Tiny little fish. Fantastic photos. 

We passed that bridge earlier.

Saw this photo at Paringa but more info here.

Fabulous mirror image of the snow covered mountains of Fox Glacier. Shame about the bird poo! Southern Alps view from Gillespies Lagoon.

Continued along the esplanade. Info about the Forest Service 1919 to 1987.

Cut-outs rather than murals on the toilet block.

Big hunk of granite for tribute to the Lions Club.

1897 Customs Office.

Nice view along the river.

Continued along the esplanade. Canon memorial.

The old weigh station near the lookout platform. Hard to imagine all the boats lining the edge of the river here.

Info about the ‘golden’ days.

In a enclosed shelter are old shipwreck timbers and a lifeboat.

Walked to the boat ramp area - someone trying their luck for dinner.