Places to stay on the West Coast?

[tigertim20]

a mate and I are planing a multi day excursion around the south island around feb / march sometime. There are a few points along they way we have accommodation sorted, however we will be looking for a place to stay somewhere along the west coast between Haast and hokitika.
preferably closer to haast than hokitika.

Having only been this way once before, I can't remember if many of the places along the way have accommodation available?

Does anyone know the availability of, or can anyone recommend reasonably priced accommodation in places like Paringa, bruce bay, karangarua?

[pritch]

Fox and Franz Joseph both have multiple options. The Top 10 park at Franz Joseph was relatively new, but I think a flood went through it earlier this year so I don't know what it's like now.

Don't pick something too small because it's not uncommon to arrive soaking wet and in need of lots pf space to spread your kit out to dry. It doesn't happen everytime but it does happen.

[mulletman]

Harihari has a good pub with lots of accomodation.

[Grumph]

Ring ahead for Fox or Franz joseph. Since the flood there's a major shortage of accomodation down there.

[tigertim20]

good to know re: franz, as we were planning a stop there.

the initial plan we had was a little optimistic for a 4 day trip so we are making changes and working it out from there.

The current iteration looks something like:
day 1 dunedin - palmerston - pig route - alex - cromwell - queenstown - crown range to wanaka - haast - franz josef.

day 2 franz josef - charleston - inangahua - glenhope - motupiko - wakefield - nelson - blenheim.

day 3 blenheim - inangahua - reefton - waipara - rangiora - sheffield - glentunnel - mount somers - geraldine.

Day 4 Geraldine - tekapo - omarama - lindis pass - cromwell - alex - lawrence - milton - waihola - taieri mouth - dunedin.

[mulletman]

Route looks good, first two stints being the most technical and demanding and the last 2 being the easier and less taxing
for the ride back.

[Gremlin]

I've stayed at the backpackers in Franz Josef, Sir Cedrics from memory... typical backpackers, depends what you usually book?

Most of those backpackers usually have something like free soup in the evening.

[jasonu]

a mate and I are planing a multi day excursion around the south island around feb / march sometime. There are a few points along they way we have accommodation sorted, however we will be looking for a place to stay somewhere along the west coast between Haast and hokitika.
preferably closer to haast than hokitika.

Having only been this way once before, I can't remember if many of the places along the way have accommodation available?

Does anyone know the availability of, or can anyone recommend reasonably priced accommodation in places like Paringa, bruce bay, karangarua?

Pick the places that have the best pubs. Easy.

[Grumph]

Route looks good, first two stints being the most technical and demanding and the last 2 being the easier and less taxing
for the ride back.

If the last stint is Geraldine to Fairlie over the top that last day is pretty heavy duty.

[Akzle]

oh. and for actual advice: buy your ass a trangia and a fucking fly, and camp wherever the fuck you are.

[tigertim20]

Route looks good, first two stints being the most technical and demanding and the last 2 being the easier and less taxing
for the ride back.

total accident. Idea was combine a bunch of roads and places that one or other of us hasn't been to / ridden before. We've had to shorten the route by about 800km, to keep it at no more than 4 days, without doing too many kms.
We're looking at around 600km each day on average - which should make for a fairly leisurely ride, given that we're not on tourers - we're taking late-ish model sportsbikes.

I've stayed at the backpackers in Franz Josef, Sir Cedrics from memory... typical backpackers, depends what you usually book?

Most of those backpackers usually have something like free soup in the evening.

don't care, more worried about the ride than the accommodation. whatever leaves more money to cover fuel for unexpected detours (read:shit that bit of road was fun, lets go back and do it again a few more times). Ive stayed at various top ten parks and never been dissapointed with a cheap cabin. Looks like geraldine and franz both have top tens, so that looks like a good option.

Pick the places that have the best pubs. Easy.

easy fella, we gotta ride the next day!

If the last stint is Geraldine to Fairlie over the top that last day is pretty heavy duty.

third day will be the longest, they look to be about 615km, 597km, 655km last day is only 507km. But might yet detour back through pigroot and middlemarch, will probably decide on the day

[Racing Dave]

But might yet detour back through pig-route and middlemarch, will probably decide on the day

It's the Pigroot...

[tigertim20]

It's the Pigroot...

duly noted.

[mossy1200]

Harihari

[neels]

There is accommodation at Whataroa, Hari Hari, Ross if you want to stay away from the tourist traps at Fox and Franz Josef.

Would pay to book ahead, we send guys from work to the west coast feb/march and it's getting harder and harder to find somewhere for them to stay.

Another option that we've used for the above reason is bookabach, some reasonable places for not too much money.