Normally we are all for the free activities. We don’t often splurge on a paid tour, so you know if we’ve paid to do these things that they are really worth it! Some of our favourite New Zealand West Coast memories took place on these tours and paid adventures. We especially loved getting to learn more about the Pounamu wars and story of Ngāi Tahu in Māwhera and sitting on the ice of Franz Josef Glacier. These tours really are the best paid things to do on the West Coast, and we really think you are missing out if you don’t give them a go. Check out the pics and stories below to see for yourself.
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Franz Josef Glacier Adventure
Cost: $1,395.00 pp
Duration: 7 hrs (tour times vary, can last up to 8hrs total)
We debated about spending so much money on a tour for a long time before booking this one.
Was it worth the cost? ABSOLUTELY!
It’s expensive to get up onto a glacier. The shorter tours are obviously less expensive, but you also get less bang for your buck. This tour is a very small one with a 4 guests to 1 guide ratio. You spend the day on the glacier, and you get to go off the beaten track. The cheaper and bigger tours all take the same route and have a much less adventure feel to them.
In a bigger group, you miss out on connecting with the glacier properly. It’s so awe-inspiring up here, away from crowds, just you and towering seracs and plunging crevasses. If you are going to pay to go up to the glacier, we highly recommend doing this tour over the shorter ones. It was the highlight of our trip, without a doubt.
Stand Up Paddleboard, Lake Mapourika
Cost: $35
Duration: 1hr
This lake is stunning and so incredibly clam! It’s the easiest stand-up paddle boarding I’ve ever done. It was so incredibly peaceful just gliding along the water, taking in the lush bush around you and stopping to explore little beaches and streams feeding into the lake.
We managed to time this so no one else was on the lake, and it really felt like we were the only two people in the world. We opted to do the standup paddle boarding over a guided kayak tour and were really happy with our choice. We felt like we saw as much as we wanted to of the lake and spent a fraction of the cost to do it.
Pounamu Pathway in Māwhera
Cost: $45 pp
Duration: 1.5hrs
This is by far the best museum/cultural experience there is on the New Zealand West Coast. Pounamu plays such an important role in Māori culture, and this experience shares the stories of how Ngāi Tahu became the guardians of Pounamu in Aotearoa. The pathway was created in collaboration with Weta (the special effects company behind Lord of the Rings) and it is so immersive!
There are statues that come to life to tell you stories, an animation of life at the Pā and so much incredible artwork here. Traditionally these histories would have been passed down aurally, and it is so beautiful to be able to hear them in this way instead of just reading about it on a plaque in a museum.
Oparara National Park Self Drive
Cost: $100
Duration: All Day
If you have your own 4WD vehicle or even a car you are happy taking on gravel roads, you can actually do this one from free! However, if you have a large vehicle, are towing something or are taller than 2.8m you won’t be able to drive on the road out to Oparara National Park. Safe to say that Vandalf the White (our motorhome) was not going to make it on this road. Even if your motorhome/van fits under the 2.8m height restriction, I would be weary taking it out here as the road is narrow and very windy. Hire yourself a car from Karamea Express for $100, and you won’t have to worry about a thing! Fuel and insurance is included in that price, so it’s well worth it for the peace of mind of not taking your own car/van out there.
The caves and limestone formations here are spectacular. However, our highlight of the day was finding not one, not two but three blue mushrooms!! We had actually just finished doing the Moria gate loop walk when we heard some people talking about the blue mushroom they found on the track. After getting its rough location, we headed back out to find it!
The Moria Arch is definitely the coolest of the limestone formations here. We recommend doing the Box Canyon and Crazy Paving caves first, then the Oparara archway, saving the Moria Gate arch for your last walk of the day. Make sure you take the track to go down to the inside of the arch, as well as viewing it from the main loop track.
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