West Port, New Zealand

While WESTPORT is gradually becoming more sophisticated, it remains defiantly old-fashioned. With limited diversions in town, most people spend their time in the surrounding area. Fresh walks to the seal colony at Cape Foulwind and the ghostly former coal towns of the Rochford Plateau compete with the lure of the limestone country and the Heaphy Track, accessed from Karamea 100km north. As this is a key transport interchange, you may well end up spending a night or two here, made tolerable by good-value accommodation, an interesting museum and a couple of adventure activities.