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Westport is a town in the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on the northern bank and at the mouth of the Buller River, close by the prominent headland of Cape Foulwind. It is connected via State Highway 6 with Greymouth, New Zealand 100 kilometres to the south, and with Nelson in the northeast, via the Buller Gorge.

The town is thought to have been named for Westport in Connacht, Ireland, although the choice of name was no doubt also guided by the town's location. The 2001 census gave a population of 3,783.

[edit] Economy

Economic activity is based around fishing, coal mining and dairy farming. Historically, gold mining was a major industry, and coal mining was much more extensive than today. Some native forest logging occurred in the area until cessation around 1999. While tourism has some famous destinations in this area (such as the Oparara Basin Arches or Buller Gorge), most visitors pass by this quieter area, opting instead to go to Tasman National Park, to Hanmer Springs or, if they do visit the west coast, to Greymouth and the glaciers further south.

Coordinates: 41°45′S 171°34′E