Hokitika Gorge

Hokitika Gorge is about 30 minutes' drive south and inland from Hokitika. Head for Kaniere, then Kowhiterangi, and follow the signposts. A short road turns off the Whitcombe Valley Road and leads to a surprisingly large car park. Here, there are new interpretation panels and toilets. 

A wide gravel track leads first to a lookout over the river, then down to a swingbridge. Over the bridge, there is access to the rocky riverbank itself.

The river is a icy cold and milky blue due to the glacial flour brought all the way from the snowfields around Mounts Evans and Whitcombe on the Main Divide.