With a population of
only 31,000 people, the West Coast retains the feeling of a pioneer frontier. It's a wild place known for rivers and rainforests;
glaciers and geological treasures. Legends and stories from the past cling to every feature of the landscape. The locals are
known as 'coasters', a term synonymous with friendliness and hospitality. Isolated from the rest of New Zealand by the Southern
Alps, coasters have developed a distinctive culture of their own.
