Photo by Panoramio upload bot, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
🇳🇿 New Zealand · Westland Tai Poutini National Park, West Coast, South Island
Photo by Panoramio upload bot, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
🇳🇿 New Zealand · Westland Tai Poutini National Park, West Coast, South Island
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✓ Verified on 2026-07-28
Welcome Flat Hot Pools are natural, geothermally fed pools on a grassy terrace beside the Copland Track, roughly a seven-hour walk from the road end near Fox Glacier on the South Island's West Coast. The pools lie within Westland Tai Poutini National Park with views of the Sierra Range, and are reached only on foot, typically with an overnight stay at the nearby Department of Conservation-run Welcome Flat Hut. DOC warns bathers to keep their heads above water because of the risk of amoebic meningitis in warm freshwater. The pools were reportedly found by workers building the Copland Track in the early 1900s, which helped establish the track as an early tourist route.
The hot pools were reportedly found by workers building the Copland Track in the early 1900s, and their discovery helped turn the track into an early tourist attraction in the region. The area lies within Westland Tai Poutini National Park on the South Island's West Coast.