The wild ocean of the South Island’s west coast is a taonga as precious as its grand landscapes, and in this part of the country the environmental connection between land and sea is largely unbroken.
The West Coast’s five marine reserves all lie alongside national parks, creating a rare seamless connection from the mountains to the sea, allowing the many species which depend on this link to thrive here.
Kahurangi Marine Reserve lies off the far northwest of the South Island. Walkers on the famous Heaphy Track in Kahurangi National Park can enjoy a stroll along its southern reach.
Punakaiki Marine Reserve surrounds the pancake rocks and blowholes at Dolomite Point, one of the most distinctive landscapes of the West Coast. It covers much of the coastline at the edge of Paparoa National Park.
Fed by two lagoons and the Waiho River, this marine reserve forms a protective buffer for these waterways and wetlands. It lies alongside parts of Westland Tai Poutini National Park and Te Wāhipounamu South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.
Hautai is New Zealand’s most remote mainland marine reserve - two days’ walk from the nearest road end, in an area with no formed walking tracks. Its purpose is to protect representative marine habitats and animals of the southern West Coast.
This small marine reserve was created as an educational site because of its accessibility, variety of habitats and simple beauty. This is one of the best places to see Hector dolphins without the need for a boat.
