Haast

Haast is a small collection of communities, Haast Junction, Haast township and Haast Beach, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park, part of the UNESCO's Southwest New Zealand World Heritage Area.

Get in

The Haast Pass

• State Highway 6 (SH6) runs right through Haast, and more specifically Haast Junction, so access from Wanaka in the east or from Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier, Hokitika, Greymouth in the north is very easy. SH6 offers beautiful vistas of the Tasman Sea and travels through rainforests.

Get around

Use your thumb, your feet or your car because there is no public transportation in this small community.

See

The Haast region covers over 2500 square kilometres of one of the World's most diverse and spectacular landscapes. In 1990 this area was internationally recognised as a location of significant natural value and became the centre piece of Te Wahipounamu - The South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.

The Haast is the perfect destination to explore some of New Zealand's most unique scenery and wildlife.

Thunder Creek Falls

• • Scenic Flights. See the Mataketake Range, the Lost Valley, Mount Aspiring, Milford Sound, or Mount Cook and the glaciers. Flights range from 20 minutes to 2 hours and pricing is from NZ$170 to NZ$695. Custom tailored flights are available.
• Thunder Creek Falls. A quick and easy walk from the carpark on State Highway 6 to see an amazing 90 foot (28m) waterfall. Catch this waterfall along with several others as you drive into or away from Haast.

Do

• Heliventures. You can take a quick ride in a helicopter to help you accomplish your favorite sport: 
  • Hunting & Fishing. Hire one of their guides and fly into some of the most remote areas for the best sporting. Prices vary depending on location, passengers and other needs.
  • Kayaking/Rafting. Take your kayak to the Landsborough or the Waiatoto River for NZ$250 per person. (Minimum 4 people). Rafting trips must be prearranged. It is a three day trip for $1195 per person.
  • Photography. Custom flights for photographers, filmmakers or artists. Pricing from $1300-$1700 per flying hour.
• Haast River Safari, ☎ [phone], toll-free: 0800 865 382. Hour and a half trip in the Haast River Valley departing at 9am, 11am and 2pm daily Summer (Oct-Apr) and 10am and 1pm Winter (May-Sep). Adult NZ$139, Student (13-18yrs) NZ$99 Child (5-12yrs) NZ$59. 
• Waiatoto Jetboat Safari,64 03 750 0780, 0800 538 723. The first and only sea to mountain river safari in the world. Five hour round trip including an opportunity for a short walk. Departing 10am, 1pm, 4pm. Adult NZ$125, Child NZ$75.
• Round About Haast, ☎ [phone]. Jackson Bay Road. Boat and Guided tours to see penguins, dolphins, seals and the wilderness in general. 
• Walking. Various tracks in the area offer an opportunity to experience the wilderness of the area.
  • Dune Lake Walk. An easy 30 minute walk.
  • Hapuka Estuary Walk. An easy 20 minute walk. Starting just across from the Haast Beach Holiday Park, this track offers several diffent environments to explore, including 800 year old Rimu trees. This a beautiful track for bird watching.
  • Ship Creek Tauparikaka Walks. An easy 20 minute walk to see some of the country's tallest trees. The track starts from road to Lake Moeraki.
  • Smoothwater Bay Track. A moderate 2 to 3 hour walk.
  • Blue Pools Walk just north of Makarora, which features a swing bridge over the Makarora River and deep azure pools of glacial-fed water

Buy

• Santana for Merino Possum, Tahutahi Rd, ☎ [phone]. Great shop for New Zealand made Merino possum clothing, plus possum skins and products, South Westland gold, and general souvenirs. 
• Aotearoa Gemstones, Tahutahi Rd, ☎ [phone]. Beautiful hand-crafted jewellery and art using New Zealand gemstones. All made locally in South Westland. 

Eat

• Cafe Bar, located at the Haast World Heritage Hotel. Open daily. During the summer a buffet dinner starts at 6pm daily.
• Fantail Cafe, Marks Road, 64 03 750 0055, 0800 681 682. Summer 7:30am-5pm; Winter 8am-3:30pm.
• Smithy's Tavern, Marks Road, 64 03 750 0034.
• The Craypot, Jackson Bay, 64 03 750 0035. Fast food with a view. Open daily 10:30am-7pm.

Sleep

• Aspiring Court Motel and Haast Lodge, Marks Road, [phone], 0800 500 703. Studio and family motel rooms. YHA member discount on the cabins, budget rooms, powered sites, and tent sites.
• Bay Road Motels, Jackson Bay Road, [phone].
• Collyer House, ☎ [phone]. Jackson Bay Road. Four deluxe en suite rooms in a very private, beautiful home on the coast. 
• Haast Beach Holiday Park, Jackson Bay Road, [phone], 0800 843 226. Motel rooms, cabins, powered sites and tent sites.
• Heritage Park Lodge, ☎ [phone], toll-free: 0800 526 252. 16 en suite rooms. 
• Haast World Heritage Hotel, Haast-Jackson Bay Road, ☎ [phone], toll-free: 0800 502 444, e-mail: [e-mail]. Check-in: 2:00pm, check-out: 10:00am. Free Wi-Fi. From $100. 
• Haast River Top 10 Holiday Park, State Highway 6, ☎ [phone], toll-free: 0800 624 847, e-mail: [e-mail]. 19 rooms. 
• Wilderness Accommodation Motel and Backpackers, Marks Road, [phone]. BBH member discounts.

Connect

There has been no cell phone service in the Haast area, but it is due to get it by the end of May 2018. The nearest other places that have it are Fox Glacier to the north, and Hawea (just north of Wanaka) in the Queenstown-Lakes region to the south.

Go next

• Fox Glacier – the bigger and less crowded glacier (1.5 hours drive north)
• Mount Aspiring National Park
• Wanaka

Routes through Haast

Hokitika ← Fox Glacier ←

N  S

→ Wanaka