Stretching 600 kilometres along the western edge
of the South Island, the West Coast is a rugged, primeval region of contrasting
features - high snow-capped mountains, towering rainforests, lowland river valleys,
dramatic coastlines, bizarre limestone landscapes, grinding glaciers, surging
rivers and brooding lakes.
Human development dates back at least 800 years,
when Maori tribes are thought to have arrived in search of Pounamu (greenstone/jade).
In the 1860s, gold rush fever brought the first Europeans, and many towns still
exude that friendly pioneering spirit.
The places of historic interest
on the West Coast are associated with the exploitation, for centuries past, of
the region’s natural resources.
Brunner Mine Industrial Site
Grey Valley,
near Dobson, West Coast
Access from State Highway 7 or Taylorville Blackball
Road, approximately 11 kilometres from Greymouth, Grey Valley
Silence now hangs over the extensive remains of what was
once one of New Zealand’s most productive coalmines.Scene of the infamous Brunner Mine disaster over 100 years
ago when 65 lives were lost, today the site houses ruins of
coal-mining and coke making structures, including rare beehive
ovens. The north and south parts of the site are linked by
an impressive 1876 suspension bridge, with interpretative
panels explaining the ruins and remains.
Richard John Seddon, premier of New Zealand from 1893
until his death in 1906, was a hotel keeper and bush lawyer as well as a politician.
Known to many as King Dick, he is fondly remembered as one of New Zealand’s
most colourful politicians. His reputation has outlasted his house and today only
the foundations remain. An interpretive panel at the site tells the story of his
life and political career.
