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West Coast Hotel, Karamea, New Zealand

Karamea Village Hotel Introduction

Karamea Village Hotel is set in the heart of the village. Established in 1876, this West Coast hotel has been restored to its former glory by its present owners.

Karamea is a secluded haven in an isolated, lush farming district on the South Island's West Coast. It gives sense of what rural New Zealand is really about.

Access to the Karamea River and beach for fishing and recreation are within easy walking distance of our Karamea accommodation.

The southern terminus of the famous Heaphy Track is only a 20 minute drive from our Karamea accommodation. A visit to Oparara Basin featuring the majestic Limestone Arches and the Honeycomb Caves is one hour by vehicle. A visit to these attractions is a must when you stay at our Karamea accommodation.

Our West Coast Hotel Accommodation

Karamea Village Hotel caters for all budgets including three new self-contained units with full cooking facilities, sleeping six, four and two. There are six quality studio units with en suites—king, queen, triple and one family unit with disabled person facilities available at our Karamea accommodation.

All nine units of our Karamea accommodation are serviced daily and provide guests with a shower, telephone, Sky TV, electric blankets, heating, fridge, and tea and coffee making facilities.

Tourist Flat – A three-bedroom self-contained house which offers full cooking facilities, two showers, TV, open fire, separate dining room and lounge. Stay at this Karamea accommodation in backpackers style or with full linen. The flat can sleep up to nine people.

Our West Coast Hotel Restaurant

With seating available for up to 40 people, the Karamea Blight Restaurant is open for breakfast through to late dinner, seven days a week.

From affordable family dining to full a la carte, the menu offers local delicacies such as seafood and whitebait. We are happy to quote and cater for set menus and homestyle packed lunches, even morning and afternoon teas.

For more information about staying at our Karamea accommodation, please contact us.

New Zealand and the West Coast

Lying in the south-west Pacific, New Zealand consists of two main islands—the North Island and the South Island. In addition, Stewart Island and many smaller islands lie offshore.

New Zealand has over 15,000 kilometres of beautiful and varied coastline. The north of the South Island has some beautiful sandy beaches, while the coastline around the rest of the South Island tends to be wilder and more rugged.

The South Island's Southern Alps have a number of glaciers, the largest being Tasman glacier, which you can view by taking a short walk from Mount Cook village.

New Zealand's most famous glaciers are the Franz Josef and Fox on the South Island's west coast. Gouged out by moving ice over thousands of years, these spectacular glaciers are easily accessible to mountaineers and hikers.

The 'West Coast' refers to the narrow strip of land between the South Island's Southern Alps and the Tasman Sea.

The West Coast is memorable for its mountain peaks, massive glaciers, bizarre limestone landscapes, mysterious lakes and raging rivers, lush rainforest and a magnificent, wild coastline.

At the northern end of the West Coast you can revel in the wild perfection of the landscape:

• Discover the Oparara limestone arches and Honeycomb Caves (complete with preserved Moa Bones) at Karamea
• View the seal colony at Cape Foulwind near Westport
• Follow the Coal Mining Heritage trail to historic coal mining sites at Denniston and Stockton
• Visit Coal Town Museum, Westport, for great historical exhibitions and photographic displays
• See the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks and blowholes. The blowholes operate at high tide and are best on a blustery day
• Adventure tour operators in this area offer white water rafting, underground cave rafting, jet boating, horse trekking, mountain biking, unimog tours, land yachting, kayaking, surfing, caving and a range of other outdoor activities

The Heaphy Track, Karamea

The Heaphy Track is one of New Zealand's great walks. The track is 82 kilometres long, crossing a range of landscapes, a small part of the Kahurangi National Park covering tussock covered downs, river flats, lush forest, and the scenic West Coast—rugged in beauty and diverse in nature.

The Heaphy Track is not difficult and suitable for families and those with little hiking experience. This track can be walked either way, but often the preferable route is to walk from the Collingwood end to Karamea. This is due to the climb onto the table-lands and then drop down to the West Coast.

The track takes an average of four days and three nights for the average tramper.

For more information about staying at our Karamea accommodation, please contact us.

Affiliations

The following features, memberships and organisations are associated with Karamea Village Hotel:

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