Haast

Haast is a small collection of communities, Haast Junction, Haast township and Haast Beach, on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park, part of the UNESCO's Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area.

Get in
State Highway 6 (SH6) runs right through Haast, and more specifically Haast Junction, so access from Wanaka in the east or from Fox Glacier, Franz Josef Glacier, Hokitika, Greymouth in the north is very easy. SH6 offers beautiful vistas of the Tasman Sea and travels through rainforests. The Haast River Bridge just to the north of the town is also the longest single-lane bridge in the Southern Hemisphere, which also contains two passing bays. Priority for this bridge is for southbound traffic.

Get around
Use your thumb, your feet or your car because there is no public transportation in this small community.

See
The Haast region consists of more than 2500 km² of one of the world's most diverse and spectacular landscapes. In 1990 this area was internationally recognised as a location of significant natural value and became the centre piece of Te Wahipounamu - South West New Zealand World Heritage Area.

The Haast is the perfect destination to explore some of New Zealand's most unique scenery and wildlife. Most of which can be found in neighbouring Mount Aspiring National Park.

Do

 * Walking. Various tracks in the area offer an opportunity to experience the wilderness of the area.
 * Dune Lake Walk. An easy 30-minute walk.
 * Hapuka Estuary Walk. An easy 20-minute walk. Starting just across from the Haast Beach Holiday Park, this track offers several different environments to explore, including 800-year-old rimu trees. This is a beautiful track for bird watching.
 * Ship Creek Tauparikaka Walks. An easy 20-minute walk to see some of the country's tallest trees. The track starts from the road to Lake Moeraki.
 * Smoothwater Bay Track. A moderate 2- to 3-hour walk.
 * Blue Pools Walk just north of Makarora, which features a swing bridge over the Makarora River and deep azure pools of glacial-fed water
 * Smoothwater Bay Track. A moderate 2- to 3-hour walk.
 * Blue Pools Walk just north of Makarora, which features a swing bridge over the Makarora River and deep azure pools of glacial-fed water

Sleep

 * Bay Road Motels, Jackson Bay Rd, +64 3 750 0883.
 * Haast Beach Holiday Park, Jackson Bay Rd, +64 3 750 0860, 0800 843 226. Motel rooms, cabins, powered sites and tent sites.
 * Haast Beach Holiday Park, Jackson Bay Rd, +64 3 750 0860, 0800 843 226. Motel rooms, cabins, powered sites and tent sites.
 * Haast Beach Holiday Park, Jackson Bay Rd, +64 3 750 0860, 0800 843 226. Motel rooms, cabins, powered sites and tent sites.

Connect
Mobile phone service started in Haast in May 2018. As of Jan 2021, coverage is limited to 3G and within a roughly 3-km radius of Haast township.

Go next

 * Fox Glacier – the bigger and less crowded glacier (1½ hours drive north)
 * Mount Aspiring National Park
 * Wanaka