Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BULLER REGION
Coming from the east, Murchison is the gateway to the northern West Coast. From there,
State Hwy 6 snakes through Buller Gorge, a journey that could easily take a day or two by
the time you've taken a rafting or jetboating trip, explored Lyell, and stopped at other inter-
esting sites along the way.
Your big decision is which way to head when you reach the forks at Inangahua. Continu-
ing west along SH6 through the Lower Buller Gorge will lead you to Westport, the gateway
to the far north. Head south from Inangahua on SH69 and you skip Punakaiki but reach
Reefton, where you can either head west to the coast at Greymouth, or east over the Lewis
Pass to Hanmer Springs. You can also cut directly through to the Lewis Pass via SH65,
10km west of Murchison.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Murchison & Buller Gorge
Murchison (population 490), 125km southwest of Nelson and 95km east of Westport, lies
on the 'Four Rivers Plain'. In fact there aren't just four but multitudinous rivers, the mighti-
est being the Buller, which runs alongside the town. White-water sports and trout fishing
are popular here, while the surrounding forested hills dish up adventure for the landlubbers.
MAORI NZ: THE WEST COAST
For Maori, the river valleys and mountains of the West Coast were the traditional source of highly prized
pounamu
(greenstone), carved into tools, weapons and adornments. View the
pounamu
exhibit at Hokitika Museum (
Click
here
) to polish your knowledge of the precious rock before admiring the classy carvings created by the town's
artists.
Sights & Activities
Ask at the Murchison
visitor centre
( 03-523 9350;
www.nelsonnz.com
;
47 Waller St; 10am-6pm Oct-
May, reduced hours Apr-Sep)
for a copy of the
Murchison District Map
, which features local
walks, such as the Skyline, Six Mile and Johnson Creek tracks, plus mountain-bike rides.
Staff can also hook you up with trout-fishing guides.
