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83-626: Punakaiki is a small village on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located between Westport and Greymouth on State Highway 6 , the only through-road on the West Coast. Punakaiki is immediately adjacent to Paparoa National Park , and is also the access point for a popular visitor attraction, the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes . Punakaiki is located on State Highway 6, and

166-503: A Category 4 severe tropical cyclone and predicted that Hola would peak as a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone. After peaking as a Category 4 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale, wind shear rapidly weakened the system as it passed to the west of New Caledonia as a Category 1 tropical cyclone. It continued to the southwest before transitioning to an subtropical storm as it approached New Zealand. It weakened and it degenerated to

249-518: A ban on freedom camping in the town, but this appeal was not successful. On 19 March 2020, all New Zealand's borders and entry ports were closed to non-residents in response to the pandemic. Staged re-opening of the borders did not begin until February 2022. With New Zealand's borders being closed for such an extended period, local tourism operators in Punakaiki had to adjust to lower volumes, and to refocus on attracting domestic visitors. In January 2022,

332-465: A breeding colony located on private land, where guided tours of the colony are available. Limestone caves in the Punakaiki area preserved animal fossils dating back 25,000 years which help us visualize the fauna of the Otira Glaciation period. This fauna includes a variety of large and smalls (including moas ), amphibians, reptiles, and potentially bats and kiwi. Local conservation efforts include

415-535: A convenient place to wait, and became known as the "Post Office", because diggers would leave messages and carve their names into the walls. As late as 1931, graffiti like "Sandy 1866" and "Hamilton Nov 20/65" were still visible. After crossing what is now the site of Punakaiki, the path continued over the Dolomite Point headland and descended to the Punakaiki River. Early travellers did not record or comment on

498-422: A diverse range of birdlife and marine wildlife. Fur seals are seen on the rocks and Hector's dolphins close to the shore. Birds seen in the area include blue penguin , blue shag , black shag , Australasian gannet , white-faced heron , weka , kererū , tūī , bellbird , fantail , grey warbler , and tomtit . The Westland petrel has its only known breeding colonies close to Punakaiki. The breeding range

581-524: A near normal to normal risk of being impacted by one or more tropical cyclones. The Southern Cook Islands , American Samoa , Samoa , Niue , Tokelau , Tuvalu , as well as Wallis and Futuna were thought to have a below average chance of being impacted. It was also considered unlikely that the Northern Cook Islands , French Polynesia, Kiribati and the Pitcairn Islands would be affected by

664-549: A remnant low to the northwest of the country. On March 11, the FMS reported that Tropical Disturbance 10F, had developed about 85 km (55 mi) to the southwest of Rennell and Bellona Province of the Solomon Islands . The system was poorly organised with deep atmospheric convection, displaced to the east of the system's consolidating low-level circulation center. The disturbance was subsequently classified as Tropical Low 21U by

747-580: A tropical cyclone. The FMS's outlook predicted that Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji as well as Wallis and Futuna had a normal chance of being impacted by a tropical cyclone. The outlook also predicted that the Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, Cook Islands and French Polynesia had a reduced chance of being affected by a tropical cyclone. It was thought that there was a normal risk of Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa being impacted by at least one severe tropical cyclone, while other areas such as

830-408: A tropical storm. The alert was subsequently cancelled during the next day, after the system's low level circulation center became ragged, and atmospheric convection was displaced to the east of the circulation center. On May 4, 2018, a system identified as a subtropical cyclone formed east of 120°W, near 80°W , just a few hundred miles off the coast of Chile , with researchers unofficially naming

913-463: A visitor centre and cafe a wheelchair-navigable path leads to the stylobedded pancake rock formations and central Putai Blowhole, which spouts spectacularly at high tide and during a south-westerly swell. One of the nearby attractions in Punakaiki is an easily accessible cavern. There is around 130 metres (430 ft) of passageways, with stalactites and glow worms. The cavern is located just off State Highway 6, around 500 metres (1,600 ft) north of

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996-463: Is 46.3 kilometres (28.8 mi) north of Greymouth and 56.3 kilometres (35.0 mi) south of Westport. Because State Highway 6 is the only through-road on the West Coast, a large number of visitors pass through the town. The village is on the southern border of Buller District , where it meets Grey District , and lies on the edge of Paparoa National Park . To the north is the sheer bluff Perpendicular Point , known as Te Miko. The settlement sits to

1079-506: Is at Shantytown . Other towns and settlements include: The West Coast region is governed by the West Coast Regional Council. Currently, it is chaired by Peter Haddock. The subnational gross domestic product (GDP) of the West Coast was estimated at NZ$ 2,373 million in the year to March 2022, 0.7% of New Zealand's national GDP. The regional GDP per capita was estimated at $ 72,127 in the same period. The region had one of

1162-467: Is evident that gales are occurring at least halfway around the center. Tropical depressions that intensify into a tropical cyclone between the Equator and 25°S and between 160°E and 120°W are named by the FMS. However, should a tropical depression intensify to the south of 25°S between 160°E and 120°W it will be named by MetService in conjunction with the FMS. If a tropical cyclone moves out of the basin and into

1245-874: Is in Greymouth. The region has been included in the "Top 10 Coastal Drives of the World" by Lonely Planet . The region has the only New Zealand nesting place of the kōtuku (white heron) , at the Waitangiroto Nature Reserve , visited by tours from the small farming township of Whataroa . This rare bird appears on the $ 2 coin. Over 80% of West Coast land is administered by the Department of Conservation, much of this being in National Parks. These include from north to south, parts of Kahurangi NP, Paparoa NP, parts of Arthurs Pass NP, Westland NP, parts of Aspiring NP plus

1328-481: Is in forest-covered coastal foothills in an 8 kilometre wide strip between Barrytown and Punakaiki, specifically between the Punakaiki River and Waiwhero (Lawson) Creek. These colonies were established in the middle of the 18th century. The Department of Conservation designated the colony area as the Westland Petrel Special Protected Area in 1999 and access by the public is restricted. There is

1411-551: Is the 11th named storm. During December 16, Tropical Disturbance 02F developed within a trough of low pressure, about 25 km (15 mi) to the northeast of the island of Futuna . During the following day, Tropical Disturbance 03F developed along the same trough of low pressure about 45 km (30 mi) to the southeast of the island of Wallis . Over the next couple of days, the disturbances moved southeastwards into areas of high vertical wind shear, before they were last noted during December 18 and 19 as they dissipated to

1494-538: Is the least populous of New Zealand's sixteen regions. The West Coast is also the most sparsely populated region, with just 1.50 people per square kilometre (3.88 per square mile). West Coast Region had a population of 33,390 in the 2023 New Zealand census , an increase of 1,815 people (5.7%) since the 2018 census , and an increase of 1,242 people (3.9%) since the 2013 census . There were 17,031 males, 16,245 females and 117 people of other genders in 14,793 dwellings. 2.7% of people identified as LGBTIQ+ . The median age

1577-546: Is the only region of New Zealand where coal mining is still widely practiced. The name Westland is used by some New Zealanders to refer to the whole of the West Coast, including Grey District , Buller District and Fiordland , and can also refer to the short-lived Westland Province of 1873–76. Fiordland is on the west coast, but is in the Southland Region rather than the West Coast Region. Inhabitants of

1660-595: The Australian region basin (west of 160°E), it will retain the name assigned to it by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology . The following storms were named in this manner: Also of note, the name Lexi was assigned to the above mentioned storm, however it is not part of any defined naming list and thus is unofficial. After the season, the names Gita , Josie , and Keni were all retired, and replaced with Garth , Jo , and Kala respectively. This table lists all

1743-594: The COVID-19 pandemic , around 500,000 visitors each year passed through Punakaiki, and most stopped at Dolomite Point to walk out and view the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes. The peak visitor numbers were around 6,000 a day. Overseas visitors made up 92% of the business at the local Punakaiki tavern, and 85% at the Punakaiki campground. The large number of visitors to the small village has put a strain on local infrastructure, and requires levels of investment that cannot be funded by

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1826-673: The Canterbury Plains and in the Firth of Thames , they have been almost completely destroyed for settlement and agriculture. Scenic areas include the Haast Pass , Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers , Hokitika Gorge , Lake Brunner , the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki , the Oparara Arches and the Heaphy Track . The region has very high rainfall due to the prevailing northwesterly wind pattern and

1909-472: The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) reported that Tropical Disturbance 09F had developed within a trough of low pressure about 230 km (145 mi) to the northeast of Nadi , Fiji. At this time the disturbance had a broad low-level circulation and was located within a very favourable environment for further development, with low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. Over

1992-484: The Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) started to monitor Tropical Disturbance 07F, which had developed within a trough of low pressure, about 435 km (270 mi) to the southeast of Honiara in the Solomon Islands . Over the next couple of days, the system moved erratically near northern Vanuatu and remained poorly organized, with convection located to the south of the low-level circulation center. The system started to move south-eastwards on 5 February, towards

2075-745: The Fijian Islands and a favorable environment for further development. The system subsequently passed near the island nation during 8 February, where it developed into a tropical depression and started to move north-eastwards towards the Samoan Islands . On 9 February, the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 09P, after an ASCAT image showed that it had winds of 65–75 km/h (40–45 mph) in its northern semicircle. The FMS subsequently named

2158-546: The Pancake Rocks & Blowholes. In September 2020, as part of an economic stimulus in response to the pandemic, the Government announced a grant from the Provincial Growth Fund for redevelopment of visitor facilities at Punakaiki. The $ 26 million project included a new visitor centre, Department of Conservation (DOC) information centre, community meeting room, and offices for the local hapū , Ngāti Waewae . There

2241-527: The Taniwha ') is a region of New Zealand on the west coast of the South Island . It is administered by the West Coast Regional Council , and is known co-officially as Te Tai Poutini . It comprises the territorial authorities of Buller District , Grey District and Westland District . The principal towns are Westport , Greymouth and Hokitika . The region, one of the more remote areas of

2324-478: The Westland Province , until the abolition of the provincial system in 1876. The West Coast gold rush between 1864 and 1867 created numerous gold rush towns such as Ōkārito, which at one time was the largest town on the West Coast but quickly almost vanished as miners moved on. After that time, the population dwindled, but the main towns that still exist had become established. Following greenstone and gold,

2407-652: The "Razorback Road", now known as the Inland Pack Track , to avoid the coast completely, heading up the Fox River, south through rough hill country, and emerging at the mouth of the Punakaiki River. The route which linked Cobden , north of Greymouth , with the gold workings at Brighton on the mouth of the Fox River , cost perhaps £10,000 and was completed by October 1867, but was not a success: it required too many river crossings that were difficult in times of flood, and after

2490-399: The 2019–2020 season, there were 150,000 milking cows on the West Coast, 3.0% of the country's total herd. The cows produced 50,700 tonnes of milk solids, worth $ 365 million at the national average farmgate price ($ 7.20 per kg). Other industries are the manufacturing and sales of greenstone jewellery, sphagnum moss gathering and stone-collection for garden landscaping. Monteith's brewery

2573-477: The Australian region, it will retain its original name. The names Fehi , Hola , Josie and Keni would be used for the first time this year (and only, in the case of Keni), after replacing the names Frank , Hali , Jo , and Kim after the 1998-99 and 1999-2000 seasons respectively. The names that were used for the 2017-18 season are listed below: If a tropical cyclone enters the South Pacific basin from

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2656-552: The BoM during March 12, as it moved southwards within an area of low vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures. The JTWC initiated advisories on the system later that day and classified the storm as Tropical Cyclone 13P, after the system had rapidly consolidated, with bands of atmospheric convection wrapping into the low-level circulation center. During March 20, the FMS reported that Tropical Disturbance 11F had developed within an area of low to moderate vertical wind shear, over

2739-523: The FMS predicted that between four and six tropical cyclones, would occur within the basin compared to an average of around 7.1 cyclones. At least one of the tropical cyclones was expected to intensify into a Category 3 or higher severe tropical cyclone. They also predicted that the main area for tropical cyclogenesis would be within the Coral Sea, to the west of the International Date Line. Both

2822-469: The Island Climate Update and the FMS tropical cyclone outlooks assessed the risk of a tropical cyclone affecting a certain island or territory. The Island Climate Update Outlook predicted that New Caledonia, Tonga, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea had an above average chance of being impacted by a tropical cyclone or their remnants. They also predicted that the Solomon Islands, Fiji and Vanuatu had

2905-617: The Island Climate Update tropical cyclone outlook that was released during October 2016. The outlook took into account the ENSO-neutral conditions that had been observed across the Pacific and analogue seasons that had ENSO-neutral and weak La Niña conditions occurring during the season. The outlook called for a near average number of tropical cyclones for the 2017–18 season, with eight to ten named tropical cyclones, to occur between 135°E and 120°W compared to an average of about 10. At least three of

2988-481: The JTWC initiated advisories on the system and designated it as Tropical Cyclone 12P, after its broad low-level circulation center had slowly consolidated and the overall organisation of the cyclone had improved. The FMS subsequently reported that the system had developed into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale and named it Hola while it was located about 80 km (50 mi) to

3071-548: The Pancake Rock formations, which are just 15 minutes from the track, and Māori did not appear to have highlighted them to early European explorers. Those heading south to the diggings at Canoe Creek still had to navigate the Razorback, navigating a narrow path between a deep chasm on one side and a sheer drop to the beach on the other. A vehicular road was not built here until 1929, finally connecting Greymouth and Westport. In 2018,

3154-708: The Punakaiki Coastal Restoration Project which was started by the Department of Conservation , aluminum production company Rio Tinto, and Conservation Volunteers in 2009. The project covers 40 ha and is 4 km south of Punakaiki. The intention is to restore the Sand Forest Flats and provide a forest to sea corridor. The land is owned by the Department of Conservation. Located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, Punakaiki has an oceanic climate with prevailing westerlies, which accounts for

3237-463: The Samoan Islands, Gita turned southeast and then southwards. On 10 February, Gita rapidly intensified to a category 3 severe tropical cyclone on the Australian scale while traversing anomalously warm sea surface temperatures of between 28–29 °C (82–84 °F). On 11 February, Gita continued to intensify into a category 4 severe tropical cyclone. At the same time, Gita turned westward under

3320-459: The Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Samoa, Tonga, Niue and French Polynesia, had a reduced chance of being impacted by a severe tropical cyclone. This depression formed east of Fiji on December 20th, and tried to strengthen while drifting south-east. However, it encountered harsh wind shear which prevented any further development and sheared off all the circulation to the south-east quadrant. It dissipated on December 26th. Formed on January 26, dissipated

3403-623: The South Westland World Heritage Area. Each of these parks have flora and fauna common to all areas, as well as species, like kiwi, particular to those areas. Four roads run into the West Coast Region. The main road running the length of the region is State Highway 6 . It connects to the Tasman District in the north through the Buller Gorge , and to Otago in the south via Haast Pass . Two roads connect to Canterbury to

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3486-657: The Southern Pacific Ocean, for their self-defined eastern and western regions of the South Pacific Ocean. They predicted that the Western region between 142.5°E and 165°E, had a 48% chance of seeing activity above its average of 7 tropical cyclones. The BoM also predicted that the Eastern Region between 165°E and 120°W, had a 55% chance of seeing activity above its average of 4 tropical cyclones. Within their outlook

3569-623: The Taramakau River in 1864 by two Māori, Ihaia Tainui and Haimona Taukau. By the end of the year there were an estimated 1800 prospectors, many of them around the Hokitika area, which in 1866 was briefly the most populous settlement in New Zealand. The region was divided between Nelson Province and Canterbury Province from 1853: in 1873 the Canterbury portion of the region formed its own province,

3652-588: The West Coast are colloquially known as "Coasters". The region reaches from Kahurangi Point in the north to Awarua Point in the south, a distance of 600 km. It has an area of 23,246 km . To the west is the Tasman Sea (which like the Southern Ocean can be very rough, with four-metre swells common), and to the east are the Southern Alps . Much of the land is rugged, with a coastal plain where much of

3735-511: The area bear traces of seasonal Māori occupation, and by the time Europeans arrived the area was the home of the Ngāti Waewae people, a hapū of Kāi Tahu , who traded much-prized pounamu . Early European explorers navigating the coast encountered sheer cliffs at Te Miko, navigable only by climbing ladders totalling 46 feet high (or so Haast estimated) made of harakeke and rotting rātā vine . Charles Heaphy noted in 1846 that "…as several of

3818-415: The area was famous across New Zealand for its richness in pounamu greenstone. Kāi Tahu traded millions of modern New Zealand dollars ' worth of the stone across New Zealand , making Te Tai Poutini one of the wealthiest regions in the country. After the arrival of Europeans, the region became famed for its vast and mostly untapped gold reserves, which historically had not been highly valued. The region

3901-566: The campground operators reported that they had been fully booked over the Christmas holiday season, with most of the visitors from the South Island, and many coming to do the Paparoa Track . However, tourism operators reported major reductions in bookings for the period after the summer school holidays. The Paparoa National Park visitor centre is located at Dolomite Point, opposite the entrance to

3984-420: The census question. Of those at least 15 years old, 2,658 (9.5%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 15,825 (56.6%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 8,490 (30.4%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $ 32,700, compared with $ 41,500 nationally. 1,956 people (7.0%) earned over $ 100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15

4067-403: The chains instead or jammed sticks into the links. There was, however, an inland trail crossing a higher terrace through rātā forest; prospector William Smart was guided through it by local Māori to avoid the "rotten" ladders. By October 1866, the authorities had cut a track to avoid the ladders, but it soon degenerated into a morass. In 1867, under-employed "diggers"(prospectors) were used to cut

4150-464: The city of Nadi. Altogether, Josie left six people dead. Five people were washed away by floodwaters, of which four are confirmed dead and one is still missing. Tropical Cyclone Keni impacted Fiji and caused the cast and crew of the 37th season of the American reality competition series, Survivor , to be temporarily evacuated to the production's base camp. 3rd most strongest storm recorded. This

4233-551: The country, is also the most sparsely populated. With a population of just 32,900 people, the West Coast is the least populous region in New Zealand. The population in the region grew by 0.4% over the year to July 2023. The region has a rich and important history. The land itself is ancient, stretching back to the Carboniferous period ; this is evident by the amount of carboniferous materials naturally found there, especially coal . First settled by Kāi Tahu in approximately 1200 AD,

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4316-671: The disturbance was located to the south of a ridge of high pressure, and within a favourable environment for further development , with low to moderate levels of vertical wind shear and warm sea surface temperatures of around 28–30 °C (82–86 °F). By 23:20 UTC that day, the system had strengthened into Tropical Depression 12F. Despite moderate shear, the system organized further into Tropical Cyclone Josie by March 31. Despite not making landfall, Cyclone Josie caused heavy rainfall and sustained gale-force winds in southern Fiji. Because of these effects, Josie caused upwards of $ 10 million in damages. Severe flooding occurred in

4399-584: The east of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu. After it was named, Hola started developing a weak low level eye feature, before it was classified as a category 2 tropical cyclone as it passed in between the islands of Pentecost and Ambrym . The system subsequently passed over the island of Malekula and moved into the Coral Sea during March 7, where it rapidly consolidated and developed a 10 km (5 mi) pinhole eye. The FMS subsequently reported that Hola had become

4482-424: The east, State Highway 7 through Lewis Pass to North Canterbury and State Highway 73 via Arthur's Pass to Christchurch . The Midland railway line is the only railway line into the region. It links to Christchurch via Arthur's Pass. The TranzAlpine train service runs return between Christchurch and Greymouth daily and freight lines extend to Ngākawau and Hokitika . Daily passenger flights operate into

4565-477: The eastern Solomon Islands around 200 km (125 mi) to the east of Honiara . At this time the system was poorly organised with deep atmospheric convection, located to the east of the low-level circulation centre. Over the next few days, the system remained weak as it moved erratically around the Solomon Islands and was classified as a tropical depression during March 22. On March 24, Tropical Depression 11F strengthened into Tropical Cyclone Iris. Later on

4648-514: The gold rush ended and the diggers moved on it fell into disrepair. In January 1873, the Grey River Argus called the road "perfectly useless" and it was little-used after the 1870s. Travellers who crossed Te Miko plateau stopped at the Pororari River lagoon, and waited for low tide to cross the mudflats (while avoiding quicksand). A dry limestone overhang on the north side of the lagoon was

4731-624: The influence of a subtropical ridge to the south. At approximately 10:00  UTC (23:00  TOT ) on 11 February, the cyclone passed about 30 km (20 mi) south of Tongatapu near its peak intensity, as a powerful Category 5 cyclone on the Australian Scale; the RSMC Nadi-based Australian scale and the JTWC-used Saffir–Simpson scale , with maximum 10-minute sustained winds of 205 km/h (125 mph). At

4814-540: The location of the Southern Alps, which give rise to heavy orographic precipitation . The rain shadow effect is responsible for the relatively arid climate of the Canterbury Plains on the other side of the Southern Alps. The region is home to Ngāi Tahu , who value it for the greenstone (pounamu) found there in abundance. The region was only occasionally visited by Europeans until the discovery of gold near

4897-433: The next couple of days, the disturbance gradually developed further as it gradually moved westwards towards Vanuatu , under the influence of a subtropical ridge of high pressure. It was subsequently classified as a tropical depression by the FMS during March 5, before the United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) subsequently issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on the system later that day. During March 6,

4980-860: The next day, 27th. It never strengthened due to the wind shear. Fehi entered the South Pacific basin from the Australian Region on 28th as a subtropical cyclone. It continued its south-southeast track while transitioning to an extratropical cyclone as it approached New Zealand. As an extratropical cyclone, Fehi caused extensive damage in western New Zealand. Strong winds and heavy rain damaged hundreds of structures, with more than 100 later condemned. Waist-deep water flooded homes in Charleston and Westport . Pounding surf eroded beaches, exposing an old garbage dump at Cobden Beach which left thousands of garbage bags strewn about. Insurance loss were amounted at NZ$ 38.5 million (US$ 28.5 million). On 3 February,

5063-581: The next valuable mineral was coal. Discovered near the Buller River in the mid-1840s, mining began in earnest during the 1860s. By the 1880s coal had become the region's main industry, with mines throughout the northern half of the region, especially around Westport . Many of these continued in operation until the mid-20th century, and several survive. Timber has also long been a major industry, although in recent years there has been an uneasy balance between forestry for wood and forestry for conservation. Much of

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5146-399: The population resides. It is divided into the three local government districts of (from north to south) Buller , Grey and Westland . The land is very scenic, with wild coastlines, mountains and a very high proportion of native bush , much of it native temperate rain forest . It is the only part of New Zealand where significant tracts of lowland forest remain: elsewhere, for instance on

5229-458: The region is public land administered by the Department of Conservation and the region has some of the best remaining stands of native forest, along with a wealth of rare wildlife. Ecotourism is now an important industry, and this goes hand in hand with the conservation efforts. The West Coast region covers 23,245.52 km (8,975.15 sq mi) and has an estimated population of 34,800 as of June 2024, 0.7% of New Zealand's population. It

5312-508: The region. Air New Zealand flies between Christchurch and Hokitika and Sounds Air between Wellington and Westport. Cyclone Fehi (2018) Ahead of the cyclone season, the Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS) , Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) , New Zealand's MetService and National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) and various other Pacific Meteorological services, all contributed towards

5395-501: The remnants of Cyclone Fehi caused severe damage to the road immediately north of Dolomite point. Improvements costing $ 7.8 million were completed by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to provide more resilience to this section of State Highway 6. There are fewer than 100 permanent residents, but the village has been host to at least 500,000 visitors in some years. Located on the edge of the Paparoa National Park, Punakaiki has

5478-419: The roof of the building. There was controversy in 2021 about the decision to transfer the facility to Ngāti Waewae on completion, and plans for charging visitors for entry to the "Experience Centre". A ceremony to mark the start of construction on the new visitor cente was led by Ngāti Waewae on 28 May 2022. The Pancake Rocks are a very popular tourist destination at Dolomite Point south of the main village. From

5561-419: The rotten steps gave way under our feet, our position was far from being pleasant. A number of cormorants and other marine birds, too, that had their nests in the crevices of the rock were screaming and wheeling about us at the intrusion." During the gold rush of the 1860s these were replaced by chain ladders, soon known as " Jacob's Ladder ", but the wooden rungs were destroyed by overuse, and travellers slid down

5644-494: The same day, Iris exited the basin and entered the Australian region basin. During March 29, the Fiji Meteorological Service reported that Tropical Disturbance 12F had developed about 350 km (215 mi) to the east of Port Vila in Vanuatu . At this stage, the system was poorly organised with atmospheric convection surrounding the system displaced to the northeast of the disturbance's weak low-level circulation. However,

5727-511: The same time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center estimated peak 1-minute sustained winds at 230 km/h (145 mph). This made Gita the strongest cyclone to strike Tonga in its recorded history. This storm formed on February 3, 2018 to the east of Fiji , Tropical Depression 08F followed an erratic track; however, it didn't strengthen enough to become a category 1 and it dissipated on February 11, 2018. During March 3, 2018

5810-504: The small number of ratepayers. Some of the main concerns were the inadequate provision of car parks and toilet facilities to meet demand at peak times. There had also been concerns from the local community about the behaviour and impact of "freedom campers" – those who stay the night in their cars or campervans in a public place, rather than the campground. In 2016, residents petitioned the Buller District and Grey District councils for

5893-694: The south, by the Pororari Lagoon at the mouth of the Porarari River . To the south of the village is Dolomite Point, site of the Pancake Rocks , and Razorback Point at the mouth of the Punakaiki River . A feature of this part of the West Coast are the steep forested bluffs and cliffs of the Paparoa Range , descending several hundred metres to small beaches and sheer headlands, with occasional flats and terraces in between. The coastal caves and overhangs of

5976-527: The southeast of Samoa. On January 28, the JTWC issued a Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert on a tropical disturbance, which was located near the French Polynesian island of Rapa Iti . The system had a well defined low-level circulation, and was located within an area of warm sea surface temperatures and marginal vertical wind shear. The system subsequently peaked with 1-minute sustained wind speeds of 65 km/h (40 mph), which made it equivalent to

6059-591: The storm Lexi . The cyclone formed in an area without a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center , so it was not officially classified. On May 9, the satellite services division of the NOAA classified the system as a weak subtropical storm, despite occurring in cooler (below 20 °C) sea surface temperatures. Within the Southern Pacific a tropical depression is judged to have reached tropical cyclone intensity should it reach winds of 65 km/h (40 mph) and it

6142-478: The strong maritime influence on the local climate and the high annual rainfall, amplified by the Paparoa Range immediately to the east. Mean minimum temperatures throughout the year are higher than any other West Coast location, giving the Punakaiki area a distinct lack of frost; no month has a mean temperature below 10 °C (50 °F), lending a subtropical note to the climate. In the period immediately before

6225-422: The strongest growing regional economies of New Zealand in 2022, though from a rather small base. Industries include mining for coal and alluvial gold , forestry and wood processing, fishing (including whitebaiting ), tourism and farming. Dairy farming has grown strongly – the local dairy co-operative Westland Milk Products remained independent when most others merged to form Fonterra in 2001. In

6308-649: The system Tropical Cyclone Gita, after the United States National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Pago Pago requested that the system be named early for warning and humanitarian reasons. After Gita was named, a prolonged period of rapid intensification ensued as it quickly intensified into a Category 1 tropical cyclone on the Australian tropical cyclone intensity scale, before it passed within 100 km (60 mi) of Samoa and American Samoa . After moving past

6391-447: The tropical cyclones were expected to become Category 3 severe tropical cyclones, while two could become Category 4 severe tropical cyclones; they also noted that a Category 5 severe tropical cyclone was not likely to occur during the season. In addition to contributing towards the Island Climate Update outlook, the FMS and the BoM issued their own seasonal forecasts for the South Pacific region. The BoM issued two seasonal forecasts for

6474-467: The visitor centre. Popular local walks in the Punakaiki area include: Punakaiki also provides access to the Paparoa Track , a 55 kilometres (34 mi), 2–3 day mountain bike or tramping track that crosses the Paparoa Range . The track is the tenth New Zealand Great Walk to be created, and has been fully open since 1 March 2020. West Coast, New Zealand The West Coast ( Māori : Te Tai Poutini , lit.   'The Coast of Poutini,

6557-507: Was 48.1 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 5,448 people (16.3%) aged under 15 years, 4,518 (13.5%) aged 15 to 29, 15,861 (47.5%) aged 30 to 64, and 7,563 (22.7%) aged 65 or older. People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 89.7% European ( Pākehā ); 13.5% Māori ; 1.6% Pasifika ; 4.0% Asian ; 0.5% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 4.3% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English

6640-437: Was also funding for a highway crossing and car park, and a walking and cycling path to improve accessibility for visitors. One unusual aspect of the plans for the "Experience Centre" was a green roof . Seeds and seedlings of around a dozen species chosen for the roof were gathered from the local area and 11,000 plants were raised in a Conservation Volunteers New Zealand nursery at Barrytown Flats for subsequent establishment on

6723-556: Was spoken by 98.0%, Māori language by 2.3%, Samoan by 0.2% and other languages by 5.6%. No language could be spoken by 1.5% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.5%. The percentage of people born overseas was 13.2, compared with 28.8% nationally. Religious affiliations were 29.8% Christian , 0.6% Hindu , 0.2% Islam , 0.3% Māori religious beliefs , 0.4% Buddhist , 0.7% New Age , 0.1% Jewish , and 1.2% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 57.8%, and 9.0% of people did not answer

6806-467: Was subsequently settled by thousands of Irish Catholics after the Irish Famine , who constitute the majority of the population, alongside the indigenous Kāi Tahu and those who come from admixing between the two populations. The region was also heavily sought after by nuclear weapons states in the 1950s for its abundant resources of uranium , which many West Coasters found objectionable. The West Coast

6889-487: Was that 12,819 (45.9%) people were employed full-time, 4,101 (14.7%) were part-time, and 687 (2.5%) were unemployed. There are only four towns with a population over 1,000: Greymouth , Westport , Hokitika and Runanga . These four towns, plus Reefton (population 980), are recognised as urban areas by Statistics New Zealand. During the gold rush days, Hokitika had a population of more than 25,000 with more than 100 pubs . A recreation of an early New Zealand settlement

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