In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · New Zealand
Whataroa
Visit Whataroa for a day or overnight to try a scenic flight, white‑heron tour or Alpine Fault walk; 1 day is enough if you only want one activity.
Whataroa is a tiny West Coast town at the foot of the Southern Alps. It sits on State Highway 6, 1 h 30 min south of Hokitika and 30 min north of Franz Josef. The main draw are three guided experiences – helicopter scenic flights, white‑heron sanctuary tours and Alpine Fault walks – each doable in a few hours. With limited bus services and a single motel, a single night covers one activity and a relaxed evening.
- Country
- New Zealand
- Best months
- Dec–Feb
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (high rain, limited daylight)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- NZD
- Money
- Currency is the New Zealand dollar (NZD, NZ$). Cards and phone payments are accepted almost everywhere; some small rural stalls and honesty boxes are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget NZ$70–110 excl. bed · Mid NZ$110–180 excl. bed · High NZ$180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- One NZ, Spark and 2degrees sell tourist SIMs at Auckland and Christchurch arrivals and in supermarkets; passport not required.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 111
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Same angled two- or three-pin plug as Australia, Fiji and China; switch the socket on at the wall.
- Tipping
- Café or restaurant: Nothing expected; 10% for very good service at dinner is a bonus.; Taxi / Uber: Nothing; round up if you like.; Guide or tour: Optional NZ$10–20 for a day guide.; Hotel: Nothing.; Public holidays: Cafés may add a 10–15% holiday surcharge to the bill; it is legal and shown on menus.
- Water
- Tap water is safe almost everywhere; follow boil-water notices in small rural schemes. Treat stream water in the backcountry.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in every town and at most lookouts; DOC long-drops on tracks. Carry paper; never use the roadside.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at Whataroa Store café | NZ$3–5 |
| Meal at Whataroa Store café | NZ$10–15 |
| Fuel (per litre) | NZ$2.30–2.50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HKK · Hokitika Airport
- ≈1 h 30 min drive on SH6
Typical fares
- Hokitika → Whataroa (rental car, 1 day)
- ≈ NZ$70 for a compact car, 150 km (93 mi) round‑trip≈ NZ$70 for a compact car, 93 mi (150 km) round‑trip
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
State Highway 6 runs through town; walk to most attractions. Intercity buses stop outside the Whataroa Store – northbound at 09:45, southbound at 16:20.State Highway 6 runs through town; walk to most attractions. Intercity buses stop outside the Whataroa Store – northbound at 9:45 AM, southbound at 4:20 PM.
See and do
Known for
- Glacier Country scenic flights
- White Heron sanctuary tours
- Alpine Fault guided walks
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Franz Josef Glacier | Drive north on SH6, about 30 min | ≈45 min total |
| Hokitika | Drive south on SH6, about 1 h 30 min | ≈2 h total |
Sleep
- Hotel Whataroa
- Backpacker‑style rooms, kitchen and laundry; good base for one night.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Excuse me | Kia orakee‑ah‑or‑ah |
| Thank you | Ngā mihingah‑mee‑hee |
| How much is this? | E hia tēnei?eh‑hee‑ah‑teh‑nei |
| Where is the toilet? | Kei hea te wharepaku?kay‑heh‑teh‑fah‑pah‑koo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Kia ora or a handshake; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; overlong small talk before business
- Marae visit: Wait to be called on, follow your guide through the pōwhiri, remove shoes before the meeting house; avoid: Eating or drinking inside the wharenui; walking in front of speakers
- Tables and heads: Keep bottoms off tables and hats off tables; food stays away from heads; avoid: Sitting on tables or kitchen benches; touching people's heads
- Roads: Pull over at slow-vehicle bays to let queues pass; wave thanks; avoid: Stopping on the road for photos; drifting right after a stop
- Outdoors: Carry out all rubbish; use toilets; stick to tracks; avoid: Feeding kea and other birds; toileting outside
- Talk: Self-deprecating humour and understatement; avoid: Calling New Zealanders Australians; boasting
- Home visit: Bring wine or something to share; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving empty-handed to a 'bring a plate' event
- Names: Use Māori place names and pronounce them with care; avoid: Joking about Māori words or haka
Scams and watch-outs
- Bus services are infrequent – plan around the 09:45 northbound and 16:20 southbound times.
- Helicopter flights depend on weather; check availability on the operator’s site before traveling.
Whataroa is low‑risk; main concerns are weather‑related flight cancellations and isolated roads – keep a charged phone and check forecasts.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Whataroa yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Glacier Country scenic flights
- White Heron sanctuary tours
- Alpine Fault guided walks
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Whataroa, revision 5211223 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5211223
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Whataroa
Ki tēnei wāhi, tēnā
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance111
US consular services are in Christchurch (check address).
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/whataroa). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.