Westport Regional Information

Westport is the main centre at the northern end of the West Coast, situated at the point where the Buller River meets the ocean. Like other settlements on the West Coast, Westport was initially established as a gold mining township, but this town also thrived on the mining of coal. Today, mining continues at Stockton, some distance from Westport.

To the west of the town is a Fur Seal colony at Tauranga Bay, where between 20 and 100 seals can be seen basking on the rocks. Numbers are dependent on the season; seal pups are born between late November and early December, and mother seals will stay on dry land with their young for up to a month after birth. The colony is easily accessible from the Cape Foulwind Walkway, a four kilometre coastal walk along the cape, which was named by Captain Cook after experiencing difficult sailing conditions in the waters off the West Coast.

Navigate with our great Westport map to stay on the right track and find what you're looking for when traveling in the region. While you're on the road, be prepared for all seasons with weather forecasts, reports and current information on Westport weather.

For further information on Westport, visit the West Coast information site.