Lake Rotoiti, also known as Lake Arthur, is a significant mountain lake in New Zealand's Tasman Region, within Nelson Lakes National Park. Fed by the Travers River, it drains into the Buller River and is surrounded by beech forests. The lake, 82 meters deep, is near the small community of Saint Arnaud. The Māori translation of Rotoiti is "little lake."

First seen by Europeans in 1843, it was named Lake Arthur by Charles Heaphy, though the Māori name persisted. The lake was part of John Kerr's Lake Station, but reverted to the crown after mismanagement by his son. Popular for tramping, waterskiing, and fishing, the lake features tracks like the Lakehead and Lakeside tracks, and offers a water taxi service to huts at its head. Trout introduced to the lake attract recreational fishers.

Buller Gorge Swingbridge Adventure and Heritage Park is a rich history site with flora and fauna to explore. The Buller River, which flows from Lake Rotoiti to the Tasman Sea, has a complex history of floods, earthquakes, and goldmining.

The General History of the Buller Gorge notes that Maori travellers used the river as a highway and helped early European explorers and goldminers navigate the treacherous rapids. The Iron Bridge, built in 1890, replaced a punt that operated on the river for many years.

Lyell, located in the Buller Gorge on New Zealand's South Island, is a historic gold mining town situated on State Highway 6, 18 km northeast of Inangahua. The town was named by geologist Julius von Haast in honor of British geologist Charles Lyell, whose work influenced Charles Darwin and who was a friend of Sir George Grey.

The gold rush in Lyell began in 1862 when Māori prospectors discovered gold in Lyell Creek, a tributary of the Buller River. In 1869, Italian miners Antonio Zala and Giorgio Zanetti found gold in quartz veins in the area. Mining in this quartz reef continued from 1872 to 1912, with Lyell and Reefton being the only successful sites for quartz reef mining on the West Coast.

Despite its remote location and challenging conditions, Lyell's population quickly reached about 100 in 1863. By the 1870s, the town had developed a main street, Cliff St, featuring banks, newspaper offices, and hotels. The population peaked at over 2000 in the late 1880s. By 1901, the population had decreased to 90, with 40 children attending the local school, and in 1905, the Alpine Extended Gold Mining Co Ltd still employed 60 people.

The 1929 Murchison Earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.8, caused significant damage and loss of life in the area. The White Creek Fault was particularly affected, with a 4.5m uplift visible today. The earthquake also caused landslides and blockages in the Buller River.

Goldmining in the area continued, with small-scale dredging for gold still occurring today. The Buller Gorge Swingbridge Adventure and Heritage Park offers a range of gold jewellery made from nuggets found in the Buller River. The park also features a sluice and stack, where miners used hydraulic sluicing to extract gold from the river.

The park's history also includes stories of the people who lived and worked in the area, including Biddy of the Buller, who lived in the hope of finding the "mother lode" of gold. The transition from mining to farming was limited by the shortage of flat land in the gorge, but some people still worked gold claims to supplement their income.

A female New Zealand fur seal remains at the same colony throughout her life. After giving birth in late November and mating about a week later, she alternates between sea feeding trips lasting a few days and nursing her playful pups for up to seven days. This makes breeding colonies, such as the one at Tauranga Bay, Cape Foulwind, lively places to observe year-round.

Male seals arrive in late November and compete for mating rights. Successful males attract groups of up to 16, but usually fewer than seven, females. During the breeding season, males stay ashore without feeding for up to two months, typically returning to the sea by mid-January.

Abel Tasman was the first European to see the cape on December 14, 1642. In his honor, a mounted astrolabe and interpretive display are located on a spur overlooking Tauranga Bay. Tasman named it Rocky Cape, but Captain Cook later renamed it Cape Foulwind after his ship, the Endeavour, was blown far out to sea by bad weather at this location.

The Pancake Rocks and Blowholes are a striking coastal rock formation located at Dolomite Point near Punakaiki on New Zealand's South Island. This popular tourist attraction is part of Paparoa National Park and is known for its unique geological features.

The formation of the Pancake Rocks is a result of both karst and coastal erosion. The limestone, which dates back to the Oligocene period (22–30 million years ago), was formed from shell debris that accumulated on the sea floor. Over millions of years, this debris was buried under layers of sand and mud, eventually becoming limestone through lithification.

The distinctive "pancake" appearance of the rocks is due to stylobedding, where horizontal planes of stronger limestone are separated by weaker mudstone. Erosion has worn away the mudstone, leaving the limestone layers exposed. The ongoing uplift of the Earth's crust has further shaped the landscape, with Dolomite Point itself being an ancient beach surface now elevated 35 meters above sea level.

The blowholes at Dolomite Point are formed by the erosion of sea caves in the limestone. Waves compress air within these caves, causing water and air to be ejected through openings at the surface. The blowholes are most active during high tide with strong ocean swells, providing a spectacular natural display.

Greymouth, known in Māori as Māwhera, is the largest town on New Zealand's West Coast, located in the South Island. It serves as the administrative center for the Grey District Council, with a district population of 14,800, making up 43% of the West Coast's inhabitants. The town itself has an estimated population of 8,640 as of June 2024. A significant portion of the district, 65%, is part of the Conservation Estate, managed by the Department of Conservation, making it a hub for outdoor activities like walking and tramping.

A notable weather phenomenon in Greymouth is the katabatic wind known locally as the Barber. This cold wind, accompanied by mist, descends the Grey Valley and was historically referred to as the "gorge wind." Changes in its characteristics were noted in the early 20th century, attributed to deforestation along the Coast Road. Local businesses often promoted their products, especially clothing, as protection against the chill of the Barber.

Greymouth has a history of flooding due to its geographical features, with the Grey River causing over two dozen floods since the town's founding. Significant floods have been named, such as the Great Flood of 1872 and The Biggest in 1988. Following two major floods in 1988, a flood protection wall was constructed, completed in 1990 at a cost of NZ$4 million. Since then, the town has avoided significant flooding, although the river has occasionally neared the top of the flood wall.

The area has a rich history of Polynesian settlement, with archaeological evidence of Māori presence dating back to 1300–1400 AD. Early Māori settlers, originating from east Polynesia, utilized resources like moa, seals, and fish. The Ngāi Tahu tribe arrived in the early 19th century, establishing control over the region, particularly for its valuable greenstone resources. They built fortified pā and established villages along the coast.

European exploration began in 1846 with Thomas Brunner and Charles Heaphy, who were tasked with assessing the region's potential for settlement. Brunner discovered coal in the Grey Valley, and several locations, including the town of Brunner and Lake Brunner, bear his name. The Grey River was named after Sir George Grey, the Governor of New Zealand. The land was purchased from the Poutini Ngāi Tahu in 1860 through the Arahura Deed, with reserves set aside for Māori use.

Greymouth's development accelerated with the arrival of the first steamer, Nelson, in 1864, bringing prospectors and leading to the establishment of the first store by Reuben Waite. The town was officially surveyed in 1865 and became a borough in 1868. Initially part of Canterbury Province, Greymouth later became part of the independent Westland Province following administrative changes due to the West Coast gold rush.

The Greymouth Bar, a notorious sandbar at the mouth of the Grey River, has been the site of numerous shipwrecks, with over 44 ships lost since the 19th century. The first wreck occurred in 1863, and the most dangerous year for shipping was 1866. Some wrecks, like the Lauderdale, Abel Tasman, and Hawea, remain visible on the coastline, with commemorative plaques marking their stories.

The Brunner Mine, located on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island, was a significant coal mining site near the Grey River, between Stillwater and Taylorville. Named after surveyor Thomas Brunner, who discovered high-quality coal in the area, the mine attracted interest due to its quality and the economic opportunities it provided during tough times.

In March 1896, the Brunner Mine was the site of New Zealand's worst mining disaster when an explosion, likely caused by firedamp (methane gas), killed all 65 miners inside.

Today, the site features remnants of the old coke ovens and a memorial listing the names of the miners who perished. The Stillwater cemetery contains a mass grave for 33 of the miners. The mine entrance and much of the former industrial activity have been reclaimed by nature.

Visitors can explore a loop walk with interpretive panels that lead from a car park along State Highway 7 to the Brunner Mine site and a memorial statue. A restored Q class railway coal wagon is displayed near the refurbished Brunner Bridge.

A chimney on the south bank, often mistakenly linked to the Brunner Mine, actually belonged to the Tyneside Mine on the river's south side.

Moana is a small town located on the northern shore of Lake Brunner in New Zealand's West Coast Region. It sits beside the lake's outflow into the Arnold River and features a pedestrian suspension bridge for accessing the lake shore and nearby bush walks. Despite having a permanent population of fewer than 100, Moana is a popular summer tourist destination with around 300 holiday homes and a camping ground.

The town's main attractions include panoramic views and water sports on Lake Brunner. Moana is also a stop on the Midland Line railway, with the TranzAlpine tourist train passing through daily. Freight trains, particularly those carrying coal, operate more frequently.

The Moana Railway Station has historical significance, with its origins tied to the New Zealand Midland Railway Company's 1886 contract to build a railway between Christchurch and Nelson. Although the company collapsed in 1895, the government completed the railway, facilitating settlement and the establishment of timber mills in the area.

The original Moana railway station building was destroyed by fire in 1926 and replaced the same year with a standard type A design by architect George Troup. This station is now a Category 1 Historic Place, recognized for its historical and architectural significance.

The Moana Railway Station Historic Area includes the station building, a footbridge, goods shed, and the former station master's house, now a café. This area is also listed as a Category 1 Historic Place by Heritage New Zealand, preserving its legacy as a key part of the region's railway history.

Otira is a small township located 15 kilometers north of Arthur's Pass in New Zealand's South Island. It sits on the northern approach to the pass, nestled between the Ōtira and Bealey Rivers in the Southern Alps. The name Otira possibly means "place of the travelers" or "finished sun," reflecting its geographical and environmental characteristics.

Historically, Otira was a stop on the Cobb and Co stagecoach route from Canterbury to the West Coast. The Midland Line railway reached Otira in 1899, and the Otira Tunnel opened in 1923, facilitating travel through the Southern Alps. During the tunnel's construction, Otira housed about 600 workers and their families. The town's population peaked in the 1950s at around 350 but dwindled to 11 by 1988.

The Otira Railway Station, opened in 1900, was part of the Railways Department's Housing Scheme, which built numerous houses for railway staff. The village was sold to private owners in the 1990s and later to Chris and Bill Hennah, who also purchased the hotel, community hall, and other properties. The village was put on the market in 2010 and sold in 2014.

The Otira Viaduct, completed in 1999, is a significant civil engineering feat south of Otira. It spans 440 meters and carries State Highway 73 over unstable terrain, replacing a hazardous road section prone to avalanches and slips. The viaduct's construction was marked by the tragic death of Tony Western, commemorated by a plaque on the structure.