Hokitika Gorge

A narrow canyon 33 km inland with startling turquoise water, a swing bridge, and short walking tracks

Hokitika Gorge is the most dramatic single attraction near Hokitika — a deep, narrow canyon cut by the Hokitika River through grey schist rock, its water a vivid, almost unreal turquoise. The colour comes from suspended glacial silt that scatters light in a way that makes it resemble a swimming pool more than a river. The gorge is about 33 km inland from Hokitika on a good sealed road through farmland and native bush.

The scenic reserve around the gorge has short walking tracks (15–30 minutes each) and a swing bridge that crosses directly over the gorge. The walking is easy and the views from the bridge looking down into the canyon are genuinely spectacular. A longer track follows the river upstream through more bush. It's possible to swim in the gorge in calm conditions, though the water is cold year-round and the currents can be strong after rain. The drive itself passes through some fine West Coast farming country with views of the Southern Alps.

things to do nature hiking
A story
The turquoise colour of the Hokitika Gorge water is not caused by glacial flour alone — it comes from a combination of the rock dust suspended in the water and the specific depth at which blue wavelengths scatter. The colour is most intense in summer when water levels are lower and clarity is highest. After heavy rain the river runs brown and the effect disappears entirely, then slowly returns over days as the sediment settles. The swing bridge across the gorge, a recent addition, gives a view straight down into the narrow canyon that makes the scale suddenly legible.

Other places in Things to Do