Lake Kaniere DOC Campsite near Hokitika | West Coast | New Zealand | 4K

Categories: Campsites, West Coast Region

Tags: campsite, hans bay lake kaniere doc campsite, hokitika, new zealand, sh6, west coast

Added: 2 years ago

Lake Kaniere DOC Campsite is a large, grassy lake-front campsite beside beautiful Lake Kaniere. Fish from the jetty, boat or swim in the lake.located within the Lake Kaniere Scenic Reserve near Hokitika, on the West Coast of New Zealand.

Lake Kaniere is located about 20 kilometres east of Hokitika along Lake Kaniere Road and is considered one of the best lakes for water sports in the region due to the close vicinity to the State Highway and the placid nature of the lake. The lake is surrounded on three sides by towering mountains which are covered in snow in the winter, while native bush grows right down to the shore of the lake.

Hokitika is a beachside town with two nearby lakes. The town was first settled in 1860 after the discovery of gold on the West Coast. In 1864 a store was erected at the river mouth and Hokitika began to grow, with the town reaching a peak population of about 50,000 in 1866, mainly due to an inflow of Australian of miners.

The town lies at the mouth of the Hokitika River and was once an important river port, but many ships came to grief on the notorious ‘Hokitika Bar' – a sandbar that shifts with every tide. The expense of building protective works and dredging caused the port to be abandoned.

Hokitika is known as the birthplace of Pounamu, also called New Zealand jade or greenstone. The town has many galleries specialising in pounamu jewellery and artworks. The Arahura River, which enters the sea just north of the town, is a traditional source of pounamu. Gold jewellers, wood turners and potters provide other souvenir opportunities. The area teems with galleries due to the large artisan community and also boasts some unique attractions.

Other Hokitika attractions include the National Kiwi Centre, West Coast Treetop Walkway, the Hokitika Gorge, and the Glassblowing Factory. There are some lovely old buildings on the town's historic walk. Hokitika's icon event is the Wildfoods Festival, which is held at the end of summer.