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Major city · New Zealand

Reefton

Stop for one night on the SH 7 drive between Greymouth and Westport: walk Broadway, do the 40-min powerhouse loop, sleep, leave by 10:00.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
NZD
Best months
Nov–Apr; Feb–Apr for settled weather
avoid Jun–Aug (wet, cold, short days)
Airports
HKK · CHC · NSN
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
  • Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
  • Australia and New Zealand ↗Both countries drive on the left, with long distances between fuel stops in the outback and on New Zealand's back roads; fatigue causes more visitor crashes than speed.
  • New Zealand ↗Visa-waiver visitors need an NZeTA (with the tourism levy) before travel, including many transit passengers; others need a visa. Apply only through Immigration New Zealand or its official app, and check the rules for your passport.
  • New Zealand ↗Declare all food, plant and animal products, and used outdoor gear such as hiking boots and tents, on the New Zealand Traveller Declaration; undeclared risk items bring instant fines.
  • New Zealand ↗Drive on the left; give way as signed at one-lane bridges; an English-language licence or one with an approved translation or International Driving Permit is required.
  • New Zealand ↗Freedom camping is restricted: sleep in a vehicle only where signed as allowed, and in many places only in certified self-contained vehicles.

Reefton is a 1,000-person inland town on State Highway 7, 77 km (about 1 h) from both Greymouth and Westport. It is the West Coast's fourth-largest town and the first place in the Southern Hemisphere with a public electricity supply, switched on in 1888. There is no airport and no rail service, so you arrive by car or bus. The town is small enough to walk end to end in 15 minutes, and one night covers the museum, the heritage walk and a pub meal. Two nights only make sense if you fish, tramp or use it as a cheap base for the Buller and Inangahua valleys.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Reefton, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a Broadway caféNZ$5–7 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Street or quick mealBakery pie or sandwichNZ$6–12 (≈ US$4–8)
  • BeerDraught beer, pintNZ$9–12 (≈ US$6–8)
  • Museum or sight ticketReefton School of Mines entryTimes by arrangement with the i-SITE.NZ$2 (≈ US$2)
  • Budget bedVilla or cottage (up to 4), a night, per roomNZ$180 (≈ US$110)
  • Mid-range bedMotel unit (2 people), a night, per roomNZ$150 (≈ US$90)
  • High-end bedMotel unit (2 people), a night, per roomNZ$220 (≈ US$130)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget NZ$90 (≈ US$55) · Mid NZ$150 (≈ US$90) · High NZ$260 (≈ US$160)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

First public electricity supply in the Southern Hemisphere (1888)Gold and coal mining heritageBottled Lightning Powerhouse WalkBlack's Point MuseumReefton Distilling Co.
Airports
HKK Hokitika Airport (Nearest scheduled airport, about 1 h 30 min south by road; domestic flights only.) · CHC Christchurch Airport (Main South Island gateway; about 3 h 30 min by road via Arthur's Pass (check road conditions in winter).) · NSN Nelson Airport (About 2 h 30 min north-east via the Buller Gorge.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Reefton: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

22°C

11°C

12 rd

Feb

22°C

11°C

10 rd

Mar

20°C

9°C

11 rd

Apr

17°C

7°C

12 rd

May

14°C

4°C

14 rd

Jun

12°C

2°C

14 rd

Jul

11°C

1°C

14 rd

Aug

12°C

2°C

14 rd

Sep

14°C

4°C

14 rd

Oct

16°C

6°C

15 rd

Nov

18°C

8°C

13 rd

Dec

20°C

10°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk. Broadway is the spine and everything in town is within about 15 minutes on foot. A car is needed for Blacks Point Museum (2 km east on SH 7) and for the valleys. No local bus service; InterCity coaches stop in town on the Greymouth–Westport run (check the timetable).

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Westportgo

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive SH 7 north-east through the Buller Gorge, 77 km

Coal-town museum, seal colony at Cape Foulwind and a bigger supermarket.

Greymouthgo

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive SH 7 south-west, 77 km

Best base for the TranzAlpine train and the Monteith's brewery.

Charlestongo

Door to door: About 1 h 45 min

Drive SH 6 north from Westport, about 110 km total

Coast road, seal colony and cave rafting; pairs with Westport, not with a return to Reefton.

Punakaiki

caution

Door to door: About 2 h

Drive SH 7 to Greymouth, then SH 6 north, about 130 km

Pancake Rocks and blowholes; a long return day, better done as you move south.

Hokitikacaution

Door to door: About 1 h 45 min

Drive SH 7 to Greymouth, then SH 6 south, about 115 km

Gorge and beach; combine with Greymouth rather than doubling back.

Fox Glacierovernight

Door to door: About 3 h 30 min

Drive SH 7 south to Greymouth, then SH 6 south, about 250 km

Too far for a day return; sleep on the glacier coast.

Franz Josefovernight

Door to door: About 3 h 45 min

Drive SH 7 south to Greymouth, then SH 6 south, about 265 km

Same road as Fox; book a glacier day and stay two nights.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Broadway (main street)

Motels, guesthouses and pubs within a 5-min walk of the i-SITE and every eatery. Best if you have no car to park.

Shiel St and side streets

Guesthouses and B&Bs a 5–10 min walk from Broadway; quieter at night.

Blacks Point

2 km east on SH 7, next to the museum; only worth it if you want a self-contained stay.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
NZ$80–130 (≈ US$50–80) excl. bed
Mid
NZ$130–220 (≈ US$80–130) excl. bed
High
NZ$220 (≈ US$130)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Motel unit (2 people)1 × 1 night × NZ$150NZ$150
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × NZ$150NZ$300
Pub dinner, main course2 × NZ$30NZ$60
Museum and gallery entries, one day2 × NZ$15NZ$30
eSIM, about a week of data2 × NZ$30NZ$60
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeNZ$60
Trip total≈ NZ$330 per person per day, bed includedNZ$660≈ US$400

2026 estimate in New Zealand dollars; fuel and rental car excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a Broadway caféNZ$5–7 (≈ US$3–5)
Bakery pie or sandwichNZ$6–12 (≈ US$4–8)
Pub main (roast, lamb shanks, fish and chips)NZ$25–38 (≈ US$15–25)
Draught beer, pintNZ$9–12 (≈ US$6–8)
Motel unit, 2 people, per nightNZ$105–220 (≈ US$65–130)
Petrol, per litreNZ$2.50–3.00 (≈ US$2)
Reefton School of Mines entryTimes by arrangement with the i-SITE.NZ$2 (≈ US$2)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Reefton is a small, quiet town and street crime is rare. The real risks are the drive in (weather, slips, one-lane bridges), winter ice on the passes, and river or bush trips without telling anyone where you are going.
  • No fuel after dark and limited hours on Sunday: fill up in Greymouth or Westport before you arrive.
  • Black's Point Museum opens from Labour Weekend to Easter only; outside that window it is closed.
  • SH 7 through the Buller Gorge can close after slips and floods: check the NZTA journey planner before driving.
  • Sandflies along the Inangahua River are worst at dusk in summer.
  • Cell coverage is patchy on the passes either side of town; download offline maps.

Emergency numbers

Police, fire, ambulance
111
Non-urgent police
105
Traffic and road conditions
*555

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

ReeftonReefton

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Ki tēnei wāhi, koaTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Police, fire, ambulance111
  • Non-urgent police105
  • Traffic and road conditions*555

Embassy

No embassies in Reefton. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland have embassies or high commissions in Wellington; Australia, the UK and the US also have consulates in Auckland.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Reefton → Greymouth, InterCity coach: about NZ$25–40 (≈ US$15–25), about 1 h (check)
  • Reefton → Westport, InterCity coach: about NZ$25–40 (≈ US$15–25), about 1 h (check)
  • Petrol, Greymouth → Reefton → Westport: about NZ$30–45 (≈ US$18–30) for a small car

Say or show

  • Kia ora — Kia ora — hello / thank you (KEE-ah OR-ah)
  • Ngā mihi — Thank you (ngah MEE-hee)
  • Koa — Please (KOH-ah)
  • Kei hea te wharepaku? — Where is the toilet? (kay HAY-ah teh FAH-reh-PAH-koo)
  • E hia te utu? — How much is it? (eh HEE-ah teh OO-too)
  • Ka taea te utu ki te kāri? — Can I pay by card? (kah TAH-eh-ah teh OO-too kee teh KAH-ree)

Tipping is not expected in New Zealand; 10% for very good service in a restaurant is a bonus.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Reefton. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Nov–Apr; Feb–Apr for settled weather · avoid Jun–Aug (wet, cold, short days) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 7 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for HKK and CHC: last shuttle times, winter pass closures, taxi fallback.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Broadway, the powerhouse loop, the walkway and courthouse, Blacks Point.
  3. Place pages with verified opening windows (Black's Point Museum, Reefton School of Mines, Reefton Distilling Co.) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Fuel and food-hours fixtures so the arrival gate can go green on a Sunday.

Meanwhile

Back to New Zealand

Sources