A driftwood sign on Hokitika Beach
Hemmed in by the pounding Tasman Sea and the serrated peaks of the Southern Alps, there really is no region in New Zealand quite like Westland.
After crossing the alps and spilling out in Kumara, my first stop was Shanty Town, a faithfully re-created 1860s gold-mining town, complete with pub and post office.
There are lots of interactive experiences to try your hand at, including gold-panning, sawmilling and the far more leisurely pursuit of the miniature train rides.
Highlights include the cluster of 30 goldrush-era buildings, painted in the bright colours of boiled sweets.
Enjoy a tipple in the evocative Golden Nugget Hotel, learn the art of gold panning and enjoy the short movie in the opulent Victorian-themed theatre, where holographic technology brings to life the extreme stories of hardship and danger characteristic with the gold boom.
But the prize draw are the steam train rides following an original bush tramline through native rainforest, replete with vestiges of the goldmining era.
Heading south on SH6, just past Hokitika, the $7 million Treetops walk is a cracker, a series of elevated steel walkways allowing you to traverse the canopy of the podocarp forest by Lake Mahinapua.
At 25 metres above the forest floor, the mesh-steel gantry leads you through a dense vista of native forest, with giant specimens of rimu, kamahi and matai, interspersed with tree ferns, orchids, liverworts and fellow forest floor residents.
Lush and intimate, the highpoint is the 47m-high spiral staircase leading you up to lofty views of the forest, Lake Mahinapua and the mountains of Westland.
If you have the time, Treetops is the perfect starting point for a grand circuit of the Hokitika Valley, lacing a slew of striking spectacles into one great hinterland drive.
From Treetops, head to Rimu and Woodstock, two pint-sized vestiges of the goldmining legacy, with a spectacular lookout over the Hokitika River and panels illustrating one of the Coast's last great gold rushes.
Follow the signposts to Kokatahi and Kowhitirangi. The West Coast's multitude of vivid greens comes into sharp focus as you wend your way through the fertile farmland.
From here, a short gravel road leads you to the ravishing granite ravine of Hokitika Gorge. Sometimes you'll see a photo of brochure perfection of a scenic spot and wish it really did look that good. Hokitika Gorge shines because the setting is as dreamy as reality gets, deep in the Whitcombe Valley.
Right by the Alpine Fault, surrounded by dense native bush, thronging with native birds, the turquoise water is so absurdly vivid and otherworldly, it looks Photo-shopped. (It's due to the glacial flour seeping into the water.)
But, after heavy rain, the water turns a soupy grey, so you will be at the mercy of the weather gods. I struck a milky blue-grey blend.
Either way, cross the swing bridge and take in the enchanting bush walks, adjacent to the gorge.
After you've had your fill of turquoise glory, complete your valley circuit by following the sign posts around the eastern side of Lake Kaniere, taking in the lusty waterworks of Dorothy Falls. If it's been raining heavily, the upside to nature's vagaries is that the falls will be gushing like a fire hydrant. Directly adjacent to the road, it's the easiest, shortest of walks to waterfall wonder.
From there, a plethora of lakeside spots beckoning you to pause, before completing the circuit in Hokitika.
You'd be hard pressed to find any other town or city in New Zealand with more galleries, studios and arty types. Within this creative powerhouse, you could spend all day wandering the wide streets of Hokitika, admiring the studios, talking to the painters, glass blowers, craftspeople and pounamu carvers.
Scattered across windswept, wave-lashed Hokitika Beach, the sculptural driftwood art is ever-evolving. Unleash your own creative juices and assemble something, while you're there.
I stayed at Shining Star Beachfront Accommodation in Hokitika. With a supreme beachfront location and nestled in a garden landscape, Shining Star boasts homely self-contained beachfront chalets with free WiFi and a private balcony just steps from the ocean and sunsets to die for.
Pack your pooch, it's dog-friendly too.
I booked through Wotif, who offer plenty of affordable family accommodation options in Hokitika including self-serviced beachfront accommodation, motels, bed and breakfasts and holiday parks. Wotif.co.nz