Home Destinations Australia and The Pacific New Zealand North Island's West Coast

North Island's West Coast

North Island's West Coast Travel Guide

The North Island's West Coast encompasses a diversity of landscapes; top surfing beaches, world-renowned limestone caves, two national parks, one centered on a volcanic mountain, the other on a wilderness river. The land is generally rural, ranging from tidy thoroughbred horse studs to sheep and cattle farms located on remote, rolling hill country and a jumble of forest-covered mountain ranges. Small cities and rural towns throughout the region offer a high level of sophistication, for their size, of accommodation, food service, and tourism ventures. More »

Getting Oriented
When to Go
Getting Here & Around

Visitor Information
Emergencies
Top Reasons to Go

Places to Explore

Cambridge
Egmont National Park
Hawera
New Plymouth
Palmerston North

Raglan
Stratford
Waitomo
Wanganui
The Whanganui River

Get Advice From Other Travelers

Visit the Travel Talk forums for help on planning your trip

Where to spend our lazy day in New Zealand?
10 responses; most recent on 11/25/2009 at 08:47 PM
Need help: US outlets converted to NZ outlets.
4 responses; most recent on 11/23/2009 at 07:35 AM
Best Milford Cruise Time
5 responses; most recent on 11/21/2009 at 07:38 PM

Travel News

Napier, New Zealand
Napier, New Zealand, is a gorgeous coastal town that enjoys a Mediterranean climate most of the year .
Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand
New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula is an undiscovered gem in a country of undiscovered gems . . .
3 Perfect Settings for a Wedding
Three idyllic settings for a country wedding...