Great Coast Road: 100 km in West Coast
The Great Coast Road is a named touring highway in West Coast. The governing figure used here is 100 km (NZTA SH6 Punakaiki), not a straight line between towns.
Typical time on the route is 1 day. Grade: Scenic highway. Season window: Year-round.
Often sold as the “Great Coast Road”. Punakaiki is the stop, not a drive-past. Paparoa Track trailheads sit on this road. West Coast slips close SH6 several times a year — check NZTA.
The itinerary on this page is the published stop sequence: Greymouth, Punakaiki, Charleston, Westport. Cabins and holiday homes load live around each stop; hut and trailhead pins without a town page still search by radius.
Book DOC huts and Great Walks on the DOC system where that applies. Town beds are what this site lists. Carry the day’s food on remote legs — several of these routes have no shop between ends.
Stop by stop
Greymouth — southern town. Punakaiki — pancake rocks. Charleston — nile river caves. Westport — Buller finish.
Distances, grades and seasons above follow NZTA SH6 Punakaiki. Confirm opening dates, slips and hut bookings on the operator or DOC page before you travel; alpine and West Coast tracks close or reroute after weather.
