Hokitika: Goldrush and Greenstone

The journey into Picton from Wellington on the Bluebridge ferry gave us amazing glimpses of the South Island of New Zealand. With the views we got from the ferry we expected nothing short of spectacular in the area around Picton and that is what we got. Our first night on the South Island would be spent in Hokitika on the west coast before continuing south down the coast. Because we were covering a large geographical area on this holiday we had to pick and choose our destinations carefully. Unfortunately the north part of the South Island was not a planned destination so we had a long drive ahead of us this day. (For the record, our New Zealand 2007 holiday has several days in this area on the itinerary!)

It was after 1pm when we set off from Picton and with about 240 miles to drive in an estimated time of about six hours, there wouldn’t be much time for stopping today. Being autumn-time here in New Zealand we saw some of the most amazing coloured vineyards with mountain backdrops. We were so disappointed about not being able to spend time here.

We followed Highway 63 along the Wairau River for quite a long stretch. This area is a bit desolate and ever so beautiful. Our disappointment mounted through this area as we traveled through hills, vineyards, river gorges and lush green countryside.

Highway 63 eventually joined us with Highway 6 and then on a cut-off to Highway 7 to Greymouth where we met back up with Highway 6 which would take us all the way into Hokitika. After several hours of driving we were getting tired and felt like we just wanted to get to where we were going.

It was a relief to finally reach Hokitika in the dark just before 8pm. We checked into Fitzherbert Court Motel and right away went to have dinner in the town centre at Stumpers Bar and Grill. As we drove into town we noticed a tourist sign for a Glow Worm Dell. Since you can’t see these during the day we stopped to take a look after dinner. We parked the car and walked in the rain up to the glow worm dell which took only a few minutes. It was like walking into a mini rainforest lit up by tiny greenish stars.

Quick Tips:

Hokitika owes its existence to the gold rushes in the 1860s. Beginning in 1864 with the first gold findings, people spilled in from all over Australia and as far as Ireland. By 1866 the population of Hokitika was around 6000. The town boomed with activity and soon there was a steady export of gold. A railway opened in 1893 which ran to Greymouth to the north. Since 1962 the train service has been cargo-only with Westland Milk Products being the primary user. Over time the gold enterprise became too costly and people had to find other activities such as dairy farming and timbering. Hokitika’s port closed in 1954.

Hokitika has struggled with the downturn of major industries it supported such as timbering, coal, and gold. It seems to be recovering with it becoming a popular stop on the lonely west coast highway. Greenstone (aka jade or pounamu) is really making its mark with it being a very important local industry.

Hokitika’s annual Wildfoods Festival has made a reputation for itself. This festival celebrates native foods, plants and animals. You will find stalls selling stir-fried possum, smoked eel wontons, huhu grubs, venison tongue, fish eyes, cicada and pistachio ice cream, and local wines and beers. Prices to attend the festival were pre-Festival and on the day with children getting in for . Attendance is capped at 17,000 so if you dare, get yourself a ticket.

Hokitika has a variety of restaurants, both of the places we tried, Stumpers and Café de Paris, were excellent choices and I can highly recommend. The West Coast Historical Museum mainly tells of the gold rush, but also has displays about shipping, greenstone and other local items. If you have time to wander the town, make sure to take in the Hokitika Heritage Walk, a free leaflet is available at the museum. Accommodation is plentiful with a range of places to stay from a boutique lodge mid-range motels and backpacker accommodations.

One thing that is not lacking in Hokitika is shopping for crafts. This is mainly jade, but also includes glassblowing, carved wood pieces and your more traditional souvenir shops. I chose The Jade Factory to make a jade purchase for myself.

Hokitika doesn’t warrant a long stop, but rather an excellent place to stop for an evening meal, overnight stay and maybe a few hours strolling around town in the morning.

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around Hokitika is on foot. It isn't a large place and it is entirely walkable. On the other hand, if your accommodation isn't in the middle of the town, a car is the best option. We had a rental car so this wasn't an issue for us. Our motel was less than 5 minutes by car to the centre of town.

Several bus lines stop in Hokitika should you like to use the buses in New Zealand.

Air New Zealand Link flies daily into Hokitika from Christchurch.

Only an hour and a half’s drive to the Franz Josef and Fox glaciers, we felt Hokitika to be an appropriate stopping point on our journey. After a ferry journey and a long day’s driving we really just wanted to eat and get some sleep.

The motel is situated at Tudor Street and Fitzherbert Street, also known as Highway 6 as you enter Hokitika from the NE. The motel is U-shaped and all on one level. Car parking is right in front of the rooms themselves, so do everyone a favour and turn out your headlights as you pull in.

At check-in we asked for a dinner recommendation and got two: Stumpers and Café de Paris. We went to Café de Paris for breakfast and went to Stumpers for dinner as a bar and grill seemed more appropriate for an evening meal. After dinner we stopped at the Glow Worm Dell just up the street from the hotel. It started raining while we were at Stumpers, so we donned our hats and jackets and set off to see the worms up a short path well signed from the road.

It continued to rain throughout the night with howling winds and rain—it sounded like a hurricane. I looked out the window during the night and it didn’t look as bad as it sounded. It must have been bad, though, because when we checked out the women at the front desk commented—and they live there.

We didn’t spend much time in our room, but it was pleasant enough. The hotel had quite a few people staying that night and only had a spa unit remaining when we made a reservation one day prior. We didn’t get a chance to use the spa in the bathroom, although it looked inviting. The queen bed was fairly comfortable and the room itself was spacious. It had a kitchen unit with microwave, kettle and small refrigerator as well as a small table and two chairs. There was a sink and stovetop for your use, as well. Hot drinks were provided to help wake you up in the morning. The bedroom area had two chairs with a small table between them next to the bed.

I was up at 6am the first time which was reasonable considering we fell asleep so early. I managed to fall asleep again for another hour. We just couldn’t get going that morning. I took a long hot shower and we finally checked out just after 9am when we headed over to the Café de Paris for breakfast and a stroll around Hokitika before making our way to Franz Joseph glacier.

Overall it was a pleasant place to stay. It really was nicer than we needed considering it was just a quick stop for one night and we didn’t even get to take advantage of the spa. The motel is in a great location, easy to find and less than five minutes by car to the centre of town.

Café de Paris, a delightful little café in the heart of Hokitika, was recommended to us by the owners of Fitzherbert Court Motel. Since we ate at Stumpers the night before, we thought we would try a breakfast with flair. Café de Paris has been a main stay in Hokitika for 20 years. It must be well loved to be around after 20 years!

This turned out to be one of the best meals we ate while we were in New Zealand. Not only was our breakfast incredible, but the artistic presentation really impressed us. It wasn’t your standard eggs, bacon and toast, but a beautifully presented piece of art arriving at the table.

Both of us chose Eggs Benedict (one with ham, one with bacon) and some plain yogurt for breakfast and a gorgeous muffin to take with us for later. One Eggs Benedict came with two English muffins, bacon, perfectly poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce, sprinkled dried chives, a grilled tomato half, lemon slices and a kiwifruit wedge—this IS New Zealand. The other plate came with two English muffins, ham, perfectly poached eggs, Hollandaise sauce, a fresh chive clipping, two grilled tomato halves, a pineapple slice and a kiwifruit wedge. I loved the small differences on each plate, we got the same main food, but with a unique flair to each one.

Service was spot-on with nothing to complain about. Each plate came out as it was done, not set under a heat lamp waiting for both to be completed. Our waitress was quick and efficient and got a nice tip. Our total for breakfast was NZ$36 which is a bit steep, but every bit worth it.

The evening menu is extensive here at Café de Paris and I am betting it would have been an excellent dinner. Should we find ourselves in Hokitika during our New Zealand 2007 holiday I will most definitely be returning!

After Tom and I got checked into the Fitzherbert Court Motel, we set off for a bite to eat in town. We had a long drive that day and were hungry for some grub. Stumpers, a local bar and café had a great selection of meals from lighter snacks to the full starter, main and dessert.

Located in the heart of Hokitika on Weld Street, Stumpers, and the rest of Hokitika, were quite busy when we arrived. Lucky for us, we got the last available table in the place. People steadily streamed in after us and had to wait for tables. Our friendly waitress seated us and took our order for drinks. Both of us ordered a local dark beer and it was wonderful. Too bad I can’t remember what we ordered.

Tom ordered a scrumptious Ribeye with Hollandaise sauce, asparagus, potatoes, and a side salad. I ordered a glass of milk and the "Pasta of the Day" which turned out to be a huge bowl of pasta carbonara. There was so much pasta in my bowl that I couldn’t finish more than half of it and even Tom couldn’t polish off the rest of it. Service was a bit slow, but other than that I had no complaints. And, it was busy so that may be why it was so slow.

Light meals such as pasta, salads, bar baskets and so on run about NZ$16. Larger mains including steaks, chicken, salmon, fish, pork, etc., come with a side of steamed veggies or side salad and run from about NZ$20-30. We didn’t order dessert ourselves, but we saw some delicious looking creations come from the kitchen. Most of the desserts were about NZ$9 and looked large enough to share.

Vegetarians may have a hard time finding much to eat here as most of it is meat-based. They did have one item on the menu: Vegetable Stack with roasted veggies on a falafel rosti. Fish-eaters will have an easier time with a few different fish selections: Cod, Salmon, Orange Roughy, and Whitebait.

Stumpers offers a huge selection of breakfast items served from 7am to 11am if your accommodation does not provide breakfast. They have everything from Tea and Toast to the Stumpers Big Breakfast. Lunch is served from 11:30am to 2pm and the lunch menu is quite extensive with sandwiches, salads, all-day breakfast and a variety of other options.

As well as excellent food, Stumpers is now offering budget accommodation. With 20 rooms to chose from there should be something to meet your needs.

Unfortunately I did not take any photos when we visited as we left the camera behind at the motel. Their website offers a complete menu as well as a few photos of the bar and grill. I would highly recommend Stumpers should you like a place to eat in the Hokitika area.

After our hearty breakfast at Café de Paris, we wandered through Hokitika in search of jade (also called pounamu or greenstone) which isn’t hard to find here. Greenstone is big business in this town and you will find many shops to browse. Your head will spin when you start looking at all of the different pieces, prices, designs, and shops. Tom and I definitely needed some education before we made a purchase.

Jade is more confusing that you could ever imagine. There are two different kinds: Jadeite and Nephrite. Jadeite is principally found around the northern Burmese border with China. The more common Nephrite is found in New Zealand, Australia, Wyoming, British Columbia (main source), Russia and other areas around the world.

What is the difference between Jadeite and Nephrite? Jadeite is a silicate of sodium and aluminium and Nephrite is a silicate of calcium and magnesium. They look different and can easily be differentiated. Jadeite is rarer and is of lighter, brighter colours. Nephrite is darker and has inclusions, colour variations, etc. The colour can range from blackish-green all the way to light green, almost white in colour. Different artists have different preferences for which kind they like to carve. Maori artists prefer the Nephrite with all of the inclusions and colour variations. Maoris used jade to make many useful items: chisels and adzes for carving, clubs for combat, and pendants for jewelry just as you can buy today.

The South Island’s Maori name is Te Wahi Pounamu, "the place of greenstone" which tells of its importance to New Zealand. Claims to the greenstone on the South Island are highly guarded rights. Export of greenstone is prohibited and greenstone in national parks must remain untouched.

You really have to be careful when you are shopping around for jade. I wanted a piece of New Zealand jade, not Russian, American, etc. The shops didn’t have as much New Zealand jade as I would have imagined. If you are looking for jade from a specific area, ask for it. It isn’t always labeled and it seems they don’t offer the information outright.

Pendants are carved into many different designs. The traditional Maori designs consist of Hooks, Twists, Korus, Manaias (seahorses), Tikis, and a few others, but you can find a wide variety of designs such as crosses, animals, hearts, etc. Some workshops will even do them to your specifications if you can’t find what you want. I decided I wanted a traditional Maori design and I wanted a big enough piece that you could actually see!

Tom offered to buy me a pretty pendant but I just couldn’t decide on which one I wanted. We browsed through several shops and finally decided on The Jade Factory. I wandered around the shop while Tom picked out a pendant for me. It was wrapped up and I opened it once we got on the road out of Hokitika. It was beautiful, a large sort of Koru-inspired design (representing the opening of a fern). I was in for a surprise when I realized there was a bit of a chip on the inside edge. Tom apologized profusely that he didn’t look close enough. For something that cost in excess of NZ$250 you wouldn’t expect this. I wasn’t worried, though, because the Jade Factory has another shop in Queenstown where we would be going in a few days. Hopefully we could get this sorted out there.

The Jade Factory is a chain of jade shops with several locations around New Zealand: Auckland, Queenstown, Hokitika, Rotorua, and Christchurch. They have a wide variety of styles and prices. We found the shop in Queenstown to be much more friendly and helpful than the shop in Hokitika. It could be that the shop in Hokitika is overrun by tour buses all the time!

A few days later when we arrived in Queenstown the manager at The Jade Factory was more than happy to help with my pendant. The only issue with this shop is that it didn’t have the same style as I had purchased because they don’t carry an extensive collection like the Hokitika shop. She offered to post one to me, but I didn’t want to wait. So began the hunt for another one I liked. We finally settled on one a bit larger and a bit more expensive than the one we had originally chosen. I was very happy with my choice and to this day I simply adore my New Zealand jade pendant.