14 March 2025
Located on the West Coast, Hokitika started as a settlement and port supporting gold mining activities in the old days. Today, it is a tourist town with galleries specializing in greenstone jewellery and art. All of the galleries were closed by 5 PM but we had no interest in them.
The town did not change very much from the last time I visited back in 2004 with the whole family.
Hokitika Beach and Shipwreck Memorial
We parked our car at the town centre and took a short walk to the beach. The beach is full of driftwood and not a good place to swim. Not to miss is the iconic sign of the town’s name made from driftwood.
There are other art pieces made from driftwood on the beach.
We walked along the esplanade towards Sunset Point which is supposedly a good place to watch the sunset. The western sky was cloudy, so we were not having high hopes of seeing a nice sunset.
Located near Sunset Point is the Shipwreck Memorial. When gold was discovered on the West Coast, miners set sail for Hokitika. However, the sand bar at the mouth of the Hokitika River was a shifting, dangerous obstacle and many ships ran aground there. The reconstructed schooner Tambo commemorates the 42 ships wrecked crossing the sandbar. The Tambo was grounded in a storm in 1866.
Bunnies on the beach!
We saw a baby rabbit that is so cute and unfearful. Soon after, more rabbits could be seen. The rabbits are wild but are quite used to humans on the beach. I was able to get close to them before they dashed away. That was when I noticed their prominent white cotton tails flashing as they hopped away. I was curious if that would make them easier for predators to spot.
I did some research and found that the white tails are actually a defense mechanism. The white coloring of the rabbit's tail actually distracts and confuses predators as the rabbit darts back and forth. Predators focused on the tail would not notice which direction the rabbit is heading next.
Fat Pipi Pizza
We chose to have dinner at Fat Pipi Pizza because this restaurant is located by the beach and also it has good reviews.
We ordered two medium-sized pizzas and local beer. Their specialty was the whitebait pizza but we did not like whitebait. We ordered a Cajun Supreme (topped with chicken, shrimps, chorizo, red capsicum, jalapenos, red onion and cajun seasoning and a Mariner Pizza (topped with fish, shrimps, mussels, smoked salmon, red onion and capers).
Each pizza made to order with thin crust base, freshly prepared homemade authentic Italian sauce, and a mixture of mozzarella cheese and sprinkle of cracked black pepper, parmesan and parsley. A sign in the restaurant set expectations that the wait time may be long but we were in no hurry.
After about 15 minutes, the freshly made pizzas were served. The pizza crust was thin and hard and was quite delicious.
During our dinner, we took turns to go to the beach to check on the sunset. We knew weather conditions could change suddenly in NZ.
Hokitika Sunset
We were pleasantly surprised by beautiful red sunset at 7.40 PM. Miracle happened. The storm clouds had moved up, allowing the sun the peek through.
After the fantastic sunset, I was hoping that we could see an astronomical event that was supposed to happen after sunset on this day. From 8 to 8.30 PM just after the sun sets in the west and the moon rises in the east, the earth’s shadow would pass over the full moon giving rise to a total lunar eclipse. The moon would turn blood red during this period.
No more miracles. The eastern sky over the mountains remained cloudy. In any case, I doubt that we could see the moon even on a clear day since the moon would probably be blocked by the mountains.
Hokitika Glowworm Dell
We went to the glowworm dell as planned. We had done a recce of the place earlier in the day.
Glowworms are actually the larvae of fungus gnats, an insect that looks similar to mosquitos and only found in Australia and New Zealand. They feed on insects smaller than them. Glowworms are bioluminescent animals, meaning that they create light through their tail with a process called bioluminescence. To capture their food, they have to build a network of silk threads that hang vertically from their habitat that are covered in a sticky mucus. Their prey are drawn to the glowing bioluminescent light. They fly towards it and get stuck onto the sticky threads.
They most commonly live in caves, forests and other sheltered, damp areas. The most popular glowworm caves in New Zealand are in Te Anau and Waitomo. To see them in this locations, visitors have to join a paid tour.
In Hokitika’s Glowworm Dell, we could see the glowworms for free, without needing to join a tour.
There were already a few cars at the car park at 9.30 PM but there was enough space for our car. There were a few groups walking in and out of the glowworm dell.
We are supposed to keep quiet and not shine bright light at the insects. We brought along a red light torch and point it only at the floor so as not to disturb the glowworms and also other visitors.
Within a few minutes walk from the road, we arrived at the place where the glowworms live. Once our eyes get used to the darkness, the bioluminescent light from the glowworms became more visible.
The glowworms appeared as
tiny pinpoints of blue lights. There were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of tiny lights shining like the stars in the night sky. This was my first experience with glowworms and it was quite magical.
Photographing the glowworms was challenging, requiring long exposure with our smartphones mounted on a tripod. We managed to take a few photos but soon gave up since there were too many people and some were shining lights from their phones as they moved around.
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