Inspiration
Step back in time with a heritage-filled weekend in Reefton, where gold rush stories and pioneer history are woven into every corner. Start with a self-guided tour through historic buildings and landmarks.
Explore the historic School of Mines, and visit the Reefton Visitor Centre museum for artefacts and displays. Stop in for a cuppa and a chat with the Bearded Miners, who bring Reefton’s gold rush days to life with stories and a warm billy tea. Just outside town, the Blacks Point Museum offers a deeper look into mining life.
Walk or bike to the old Powerhouse, the site of the Southern Hemisphere’s first public electricity supply. Extend your adventure on trails to Big River, Larrys Creek, or Alborns, where relics and ruins await in the bush.
Finish with some gold panning – a classic Reefton experience – and see if you can strike gold like the prospectors of old.
Local’s Tip: Look for the heritage plaques on places around Reefton – they tell the stories of these old buildings!
Plan Your Trip
Reefton School of Mines
- 22 Shiel Street, Reefton, New Zealand
The Bearded Miners
- 46 Broadway, Reefton, New Zealand
Blacks Point Museum
- 28 Franklyn Street, Blacks Point, New Zealand
- 027 212 5309
The Reefton Visitor & Service Centre
- 67-69 Broadway, Reefton, New Zealand
- 03 732 8391
Waiuta Historic Mine & Town
- Waiuta Historic Mine and Town New Road, West Coast, New Zealand
- 027 237 0794
Historic Blackwater School
- Blackwater School Waiuta Rd, Ikamatua, New Zealand
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