New Zealand Stories - West Coast - A Collection of Photos Capturing Kiwi Culture by Murray Hedwig and Anita Peters

West Coast

The West Coast is a World Heritage Area rich in the wild beauty of wind-swept beaches, dense rainforest, lakes and the snow-capped Southern Alps. Numerous rivers flow from these mountains down to the Tasman Sea and most are prone to flooding from snow melt and often heavy and constant rainfall. Rivers here have always been important for survival and sustenance of the economy yielding greenstone, gold and food from early times. The tradition of whitebaiting began with early Maori and European explorers and pioneer settlers. The rivers of the Cascades, Waita, Haast, Okuru, Turnbull, Waiatoto and Arawhata are responsible for some of New Zealand’s biggest catches. There are 650 registered stands on 26 rivers between Westport and Haast but more than half of the fishermen that come here live outside the region. As a result, river real estate is high and some stands can sell for over $150,000.