19 Cheap & Free Things To Do In Greymouth

Discover Greymouth, New Zealand, without breaking the bank with our guide to free and affordable activities.

Located on New Zealand’s scenic West Coast, Greymouth is a town rich in history and natural beauty. While it might not always be at the top of travel lists, Greymouth offers so many incredible activities for budget-conscious road trippers.

After living in the area for almost two years, we’re compiled a selection of cheap and free things to do in Greymouth to help you enjoy your visit while saving money, with a local twist!

From historical sites to outdoor adventures and hidden gems, here are 19 of the best cheap and free things to do in Greymouth, no matter how long you plan to stay.

Cheap & Free Things To Do In Greymouth

Explore Point Elizabeth Walkway

While working in the hospitality industry in Greymouth, the Point Elizabeth walkway was one of my favourite easy hikes to recommend to guests.

Starting at North Beach Road, with parking here and ending in Rapahoe, this scenic coastal walk offers stunning views of the rugged coastline and native bush. The track is well-maintained and very easy to walk, making it a great choice if you have kids. Along the way, you’ll find lookout points perfect for taking in the panoramic views and maybe even spotting dolphins!

Unfortunately, dogs aren’t allowed on this track (or many in this area) due to the wildlife.

Tour Monteith’s Brewery

Monteith’s Brewery is another popular attraction for people passing through Greymouth, and it’s a budget friendly one too!

Get an exclusive behind the scenes tour of New Zealand’s oldest breweries and sample some of their beers and ciders with their flexible tours that run frequently through the day.

You can book your tickets here and get a ‘West Coast Passport’ which gives you discounts to other activities in the area or, if you’re staying at Greymouth Top10, pick up a Top10 card and get access to discounts all around the country! (you can pick up a T10 card at any of their sites)

Have A Game Of Crazy Golf

Speaking of Top10, one of the most popular cheap things to do in Greymouth with locals and tourists alike is the crazy mini golf course at the Greymouth Top10. 

You don’t have to be staying with them to play, and there are no time limits on how long you can play so nip into the reception, hire your clubs and play your heart out!

Once you’ve done, nip in and grab a coffee or ice cream from one of the amazing team members in the office. Say hey to Matt & Steph for us.

Image Provided By Greymouth Top10. 

Discover Left Bank Art Gallery

Located in the old Bank of New Zealand building, the left bank art gallery is a great free activity in Greymouth. Especially if it’s raining.

Here you’ll be able to see some incredible work from local artists, including pounamu carving collections. The exhibits change frequently, so even if you’ve been before it’s worth another visit!

If you have longer in Greymouth, checkout their workshops to see if there’s anything you’d like to take part in!

Left Bank Gallery can be found on 1 Tainui Street, Greymouth 7805, New Zealand

Photo thanks to Left Bank Art Gallery

Cycle/Walk the West Coast Wilderness Trail

Fancy a longer walk along the rugged West Coast? The famous West Coast Wilderness Trail is the perfect choice! You can do it in sections, or do a multi-day trip to complete the whole route.

Officially starting in the centre of town, this popular walking and cycling track follows the coast to Kumara Junction before heading inland to Lake Kaniere, then back to the coast where it ends in Ross.

If you don’t have bikes, but don’t fancy walking, you can hire mountain bikes from Greymouth Top10 if you’re staying with them. Numbers are limited for this and it’s on a first come first served system.

Alternatively, there are several companies within Greymouth and along the coast who hire out bikes, and offer shuttles between accommodation for any luggage you might have. You can get more information about the West Coast Wilderness Trail route here.

Explore Shipwreck Point

Visitors often get excited when they see Shipwreck Point listed on the tourist maps, and many are disappointed to find there aren’t any shipwrecks visible here.

However, the name is still very relevant. Shipwreck point is located on the mouth of the Greymouth River, which sailors consider one of the harshest crossings in the country. Hundreds of boats have been wrecked while leaving or entering the river at this point, and if you visit on a rough-sea day, it’s easy to see how. The waves here can be ferocious. 

It’s a 45 minute walk from Greymouth Train Station, but there is plenty of parking too if the weather isn’t the best.

Many people camp for free around here, but here’s a bit of advice from a local: don’t leave your vehicle unattended in any of the free parking spots on this side of the river. Break-ins and vandalism are quite common around this part of town, unfortunately.

This place is better for free camping, although check for any new signs on whether it’s still ok.

Visit Rotary Platform Lookout

Want to do something in Greymouth that very few other tourists know about? Then head to the Rotary Platform Lookout for beautiful views over the town!

While you can drive to the top, parking is limited so it’s better to walk. You’ll get good sunset views from here!

Watch The Races At The Speedway Track

Love a bit of racing? Every year Greymouth comes to life with the Speedway crew most weekends through September – November.

While this isn’t a free thing to do in Greymouth, it is one of the lesser known activities and it’s quite cheap too! You can see their race calendar and prices here for more information, or if you’re visiting out of race season you can still see the track on the way to Shipwreck point.

Visit Rapahoe or Greymouth Beach

In this area of the West Coast, you’re not going to find pristine sand beaches. Instead, you’ll be treated to a unique rock and pebble experience that is actually quite beautiful in its own right.

You have the choice of Rapahoe beach, which is on the other side of the river where the Point Elizabeth track ends, or Greymouth beach which is bigger.

Both have beautiful views back towards the mountains, both are great spots to watch the sunset!

If you’re extremely lucky, you might even see Penguins at Greymouth beach, so please remember to keep dogs on a lead during penguin season!

Visit Punakaiki Pancake Rocks

Perhaps the most well known of these free things to do in Greymouth, the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks are located 40 minutes North of Greymouth and are a staple for any West Coast road trip.

Being such a big tourist spot, you’ll not be surprised to hear there’s plenty of parking here. Plus a cafe, and several shops.

You’ll want to set aside around 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how long you want to stop and take photos or wait for the blowhole to ‘blow’. 

Walk To Coal Creek Falls

Some of the best free things to do in Greymouth really revolve around its incredible nature, and the Coal Creek Falls track is no exception.

Only 10 minutes from Greymouth, Coal Creek Falls is a popular natural swimming location for local’s in the summer, but during winter you’re almost guaranteed to have it to yourself. After a steady 50 minute forest walk that is heavily shaded, you’ll reach the wide single drop fan waterfall.

The track isn’t suitable for wheelchairs due to a few stairs and a fairly uneven track in places. It’s a steady decline on the way in, meaning the walk back to your car is all uphill. 

Motukiekie Beach Walk

When we talk about our favourite free things to do in Greymouth, Dec will almost always say Motukiekie Beach. In fact, he was reluctant to add it to this list because of how secluded and secret it felt every time we visited. So, as a compromise, 

This was our absolute favourite place for sunset and when the tide was right, we could get some incredible landscape photos. By ‘we’, I mean Dec, of course.

So why was Motukiekie Beach so special to us?

The beachscape here was so unique, like nothing else we’ve seen anywhere else before. Yes, the West Coast is full of incredible beaches and sea stacks but these really are something else.

It’s quite tricky to reach, and that was part of the adventure for us so I’m not going to tell you exactly how to get to it but what I will say is you’ll need to watch the tide very carefully. It’s about an hour’s walk up the beach from where we parked the car and it could be very easy to get caught out if you get the timing wrong.

I mean come on. Look at this photo. How could this place not take a piece of our heart out with the tide

Photo by Declan Officer

Photo by Declan Officer

Learn About The Brunner Mine Site

Greymouth’s history is intertwined with the coal and gold mining industries, which unfortunately means there’s some sad stories to go along with many of the beautiful historic locations around Greymouth.

If you’re on limited time and can only visit a few of these free attractions in Greymouth, make the Brunner Mine Site one of them.

You’ll need about an hour to do the easy loop track that will take you over the historic suspension bridge and through the woodlands, while scattered with information boards full of stories from the mine.

In 1896, 65 mine workers were killed at the Brunner Mine Site due to poor health and safety regulations. Today, it serves as a reminder to the improvements needed in the industry when it comes to health and safety.

To this day, it’s still the worst mining accident in New Zealand but it unfortunately wasn’t the last. In 2010, a similar incident happened in the West Coast’s Pike River Mine where 29 men were killed. Unfortunately, these men were not recovered and it remains a topic of much heartache across the West Coast. You can visit the Pike Mine Memorial here.

Sorry, I know that was a bit of a sad point but it’s very important for visitors to understand the history of these areas. After living on the West Coast for so long, it’s something that local’s hold cold to their hearts.

Woods Creek Track

For a more light-hearted look at the mining history while exploring the rainforest, the Woods Creek Track is a 1.1km loop through old mining trails and caves. It takes roughly 45 minutes to complete and has the occasional sign most to explain the caves or pits.

We never saw anyone else here whenever we visited, and we think it’s most beautiful when it’s been lightly raining. Which also increases your chances of seeing the rare West Coast blue mushroom!

This track is roughly 30 minutes drive from Greymouth, the road turns to gravel before you reach the car park but doesn’t warrant a 4×4. I wouldn’t recommend visiting during or after extremely heavy West Coast rain.

Discover The Tunnel Terrace Track 

For another great wilderness walk near Greymouth, head to the Tunnel Terrace Track between Hokitika and Greymouth.

There’s a small roadside car park here, big enough for maybe two or three vehicles, so it’s easily accessible. The walk itself is short, only taking about 30 minutes to complete, but it’s rich in mining history, birdlife and once again gives you the chance to spot the rare blue mushroom that can be seen on New Zealand money!

This track is currently closed, stay updated here.

Relax At Lake Brunner

If you have more time to spare, then a trip to Lake Brunner is probably one of the most relaxing activities on the list of free things to do in Greymouth.

The lake is popular with locals in the summer when it comes alive with beach goers and waters ports, but it’s just as impressive in the winter.

Whether you take a stroll around the lakeside village of Moana, visit one of the waterfalls or simply relax by the water, Lake Brunner is the perfect place to recharge after all the excitement of the West Coast!

Photo by Bev, member of the New Zealand Travel Tips group

Visit Hokitika Gorge

Another of the most popular free things to do in Greymouth is a quick trip to the famous Hokitika Gorge.

You will have likely seen photos of this all over promotional leaflets and posters for the West Coast. The crystal blue waters are perfect for luring tourists to the area because it’s so photogenic. In fact, it was the header image for our website for quite a while!

This spot gets busy during the summer, so you’ll want to arrive early if you want to snap some photos without people in them.

If you’re driving along the West Coast or visiting Greymouth during the wet seasons, don’t be disappointed if you find the water isn’t as it looks on the photos. It’s not because they’re photoshopped, but rather because the river gets churned up with heavy rain. It takes several days to settle again, so any rain around the time of your visit will likely throw the colour off.

The track is relatively easy and will take you roughly 40 minutes one way though the very scenic rainforest.

You might want to consider sandfly spray before setting off, and don’t be surprised if you get followed by a very cheeky Weka bird. No, they’re not kiwi. 

Take A Trip To Blackball

This quirky little village is worth a visit if you’re in Greymouth for a few days, or heading towards Nelson from here.

Blackball butchers do amazing steaks & chorizo, and of course there’s the infamous ‘Formerly The Blackball Hilton’ which was built in 1910 and has been kept as close to the original condition as possible. Whether you want to grab a drink, some food or stay the night, the Formerly The Blackball Hilton promised a fun little spot on your trip.

Why ‘Formerly’ the Blackball Hilton? I imagine it has something to do with the huge global Hilton chain. Ask the staff, I’m sure they’ll have some funny stories to tell you!

Have An Adventure On The Paparoa Track

Finally, for those of you who are up for a more strenuous hike or multi-day trip, you’ll want to check out the Paparoa Track which is one of New Zealand’s great walks. 

Following the footsteps of the old gold miners, the Paparoa Track offers a scenic and secluded walk through the rainforest mountains.

With a distance of 55 km and taking 3 days to complete, it was one of the things that was on our Greymouth Bucket List that we never got around to doing due to work and weather.

If you want a taste of the Paparoa without having to complete it all, you can walk a portion of it and return the way you came. 

Greymouth is full of hidden gems that won’t cost you much to enjoy. Its unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty makes it a fantastic destination for budget-conscious road trippers on the West Coast.

We hope this guide has given you some great ideas for affordable and free activities in Greymouth. Which of these have you added to your itinerary? Let us know over on our Facebook Community!