About Mōkihinui

Nestled under the western shoulder of Kahurangi National Park.

The name Mōkihinui comes from Māori: mokihi meaning a raft made of flax stalks, and nui meaning large.

Mōkihinui is a quiet coastal settlement on the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island, about 40km north of Westport. Nestled between the Tasman Sea and the foothills of the Glasgow Range, the village sits near the edge of Kahurangi National Park, with State Highway 67 passing through on its way to the northern West Coast.

In the early 1890s, Mōkihinui became a key stop on the Seddonville Branch railway line, which ran from Westport to Seddonville. Initially carrying both passengers and freight, the line shifted to freight-only services in 1946, primarily supporting the local coal industry. As mining declined, so did the railway, and it eventually closed north of Ngakawau in 1981. Remnants of the old line can still be seen in the surrounding landscape.

The Mōkihinui River, the third largest on the West Coast; begins high in the Lyell, Radiant, Glasgow, Allen, and Matiri Ranges. It carves its way through steep granite and limestone gorges, flows across open flats, and finally reaches the Tasman Sea near the settlement. Rich in history, scenery, and natural life, the Mōkihinui area offers a unique slice of wild, untamed Aotearoa.