Driving along the west coast as the sun sets behind us (in the east - we are upside down and back to front, don't forget!) We leave behind the beautiful glacier country and rainforest.
ROSS
Feeling like a bit of "real New Zealand" we pick a town at random to stop off in for the night. Ross is one of many towns in New Zealand which about this time last century(give or take) would have had been bustling with hairy prospectors in search of gold, corseted cancan dancers, cart horses and 'fire and brimstone' preachers.
While the gold itself hasn't quite run out in Ross, the gold-rush rushed right out of town as quickly as in came in and took all the people with it, only leaving a few beardy descendents and one horse (for symbolic purposes!)
At a local bar we buy beers and a pie from a prospecter lookalike- who recommends a good place to freedom camp. We park up for the night near the old gaol, keeping an eye out for ghostly convicts!
The next morning we venture over to the tiny museum for a look at an educational but very long and very cringey video all about the history of the town, complete with star shaped fadeouts etc!It must have cost a few bob to rent out the 1800's costume for the day of the videoshoot because they got their moneysworth making sure every single extra got some camera time! Our favorite character might have been the logger who's big screen moment was wiping 'sweat' from his brow to show how hard he was working- he either suffered from the most severe case of excessive perspiration ever known or the 'special effects team' helped his acting with a bucket of water just before he went on camera!
The museum also tells the story of the towns biggest achievment The Honorable Roddy- the biggest gold nugget ever found in New Zealand! As with many big NZ claims to fame (e.g. Pavlova) there is an Aussie in the background trying to stir up trouble, and there are some claims the nugget was smuggled in from Australia and planted in Ross so that the prospecters could sell the gold at a higher price!
Ross was a semi- interesting place to see but in all honesty the after-effects of the goldrush era seem to have left behind a strange little town, or maybe I was still feeling paranoid about the ghostly inmates that were lurking around the gaol !
HOKITIKA
On to Hokitika and in keeping with the gold rush theme this was the west coasts main port back then. Old pictures show the port saturated with ships bringing hopeful gold diggers from the goldfields of Australia and further afield. Apparently the streets along the waterfront once housed 300 brothels! Even though prostitution is now legal in NZ we don't see much evidence of brothels in Hokitika. Instead it's a pleasant little town with a nice sandy beach. It's famous for it's Wild-Foods festival once a year where you can eat everything from gourmet burgers to hare testicles!
driftwood assemblies
Popular titles at the 2nd hand store!!
On the day in question we found a dozen or so people arrived on the beach just as eager as those original gold-seekers but this time they were wading into the water in search of a different prize but one that's almost as precious (to New Zealanders at least). Whitebait- tiny tadpole-like young fish that are caught in their hundreds and generally turned into Whitebait fritters- a highly regarded delicacy round here, (although I never got around to actually eating any, oops!)
GREYMOUTH/COBDEN NORTH BEACH
When we arrive in Greymouth there are barricades up for a motorcycle race that's on in the middle of town, and from what I've heard of Greymouth it isn't worth the $5 admissionto get in even if there are a few bikes! Still, wanting to give the place some kind of a chance we head of in search of the end of the Point Elizabeth walkway. While the town of Greymouth might not be up to much, a little 6km detour brings us to a beautiful (proper) sandy beach! Our first bit of proper sand so far!The walkway clings to the edge of a cliff that juts out over the ocean and it seems such a pity we don't have time to do the full walk but we're happy to settle for a sniff of sea air and a nice view while we stretch our legs.
BREMNER
On our way North we pull in at Bremner. This is still in mining country- but less shiny this time- coal. A sad sight was the monument for people killed here in a mining disaster in the 1860s. Plaques has been added for those killed in other mining accidents in NZ, including the Pike River disaster just last year,which happened not too far from the area.
Old mine- bremner
Remnants of old mining equipment are scattered all around and what remains of the buildings is being overgrown by vegetation. It seems amazing how much effort and money would have been invested in places like these and now it's all just left behind. However it's not quite forgotten, in true NZ tourism style there are great information boards around the site to tell you all the history.
REEFTON
Our next stop off is Reefton....you guessed it, an old gold mining town! A lovely place , it's like a more realistic version of Arrowtown (the touristy little gold mining town next to QT). It has the same wooden victorian buildings but most shops/bars seemed geared at locals rather than tourists.
This was the first place in NZ to get electricity in 1988! I kid.... it was about 100 yrs before in 1888, just 2 years after New York switched on! While the town didn't advance a whole lot further than that initial flirtation with 'new fangled-ness', it is amazing to think that if the influx of people had remained the same rate, this little town could have easily become something like San Francisco!
We do some nice walks and explore the town but much to my dissapointment the main attraction "The Bearded Mining Company" is closed that day- a yard where a few local guys stay in character as old timey miners and teach you how to find gold!
We never did manage to strike it lucky and find a Roddy nugget to sneak home- but we are well informed on how to go about looking for one, should it ever take our fancy! Rob has the beard already- so we're practically half way there.
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
ROSS
Feeling like a bit of "real New Zealand" we pick a town at random to stop off in for the night. Ross is one of many towns in New Zealand which about this time last century(give or take) would have had been bustling with hairy prospectors in search of gold, corseted cancan dancers, cart horses and 'fire and brimstone' preachers.
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
While the gold itself hasn't quite run out in Ross, the gold-rush rushed right out of town as quickly as in came in and took all the people with it, only leaving a few beardy descendents and one horse (for symbolic purposes!)
At a local bar we buy beers and a pie from a prospecter lookalike- who recommends a good place to freedom camp. We park up for the night near the old gaol, keeping an eye out for ghostly convicts!
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
The next morning we venture over to the tiny museum for a look at an educational but very long and very cringey video all about the history of the town, complete with star shaped fadeouts etc!It must have cost a few bob to rent out the 1800's costume for the day of the videoshoot because they got their moneysworth making sure every single extra got some camera time! Our favorite character might have been the logger who's big screen moment was wiping 'sweat' from his brow to show how hard he was working- he either suffered from the most severe case of excessive perspiration ever known or the 'special effects team' helped his acting with a bucket of water just before he went on camera!
The museum also tells the story of the towns biggest achievment The Honorable Roddy- the biggest gold nugget ever found in New Zealand! As with many big NZ claims to fame (e.g. Pavlova) there is an Aussie in the background trying to stir up trouble, and there are some claims the nugget was smuggled in from Australia and planted in Ross so that the prospecters could sell the gold at a higher price!
Ross was a semi- interesting place to see but in all honesty the after-effects of the goldrush era seem to have left behind a strange little town, or maybe I was still feeling paranoid about the ghostly inmates that were lurking around the gaol !
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
HOKITIKA
On to Hokitika and in keeping with the gold rush theme this was the west coasts main port back then. Old pictures show the port saturated with ships bringing hopeful gold diggers from the goldfields of Australia and further afield. Apparently the streets along the waterfront once housed 300 brothels! Even though prostitution is now legal in NZ we don't see much evidence of brothels in Hokitika. Instead it's a pleasant little town with a nice sandy beach. It's famous for it's Wild-Foods festival once a year where you can eat everything from gourmet burgers to hare testicles!
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
driftwood assemblies
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
Popular titles at the 2nd hand store!!
On the day in question we found a dozen or so people arrived on the beach just as eager as those original gold-seekers but this time they were wading into the water in search of a different prize but one that's almost as precious (to New Zealanders at least). Whitebait- tiny tadpole-like young fish that are caught in their hundreds and generally turned into Whitebait fritters- a highly regarded delicacy round here, (although I never got around to actually eating any, oops!)
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
GREYMOUTH/COBDEN NORTH BEACH
When we arrive in Greymouth there are barricades up for a motorcycle race that's on in the middle of town, and from what I've heard of Greymouth it isn't worth the $5 admissionto get in even if there are a few bikes! Still, wanting to give the place some kind of a chance we head of in search of the end of the Point Elizabeth walkway. While the town of Greymouth might not be up to much, a little 6km detour brings us to a beautiful (proper) sandy beach! Our first bit of proper sand so far!The walkway clings to the edge of a cliff that juts out over the ocean and it seems such a pity we don't have time to do the full walk but we're happy to settle for a sniff of sea air and a nice view while we stretch our legs.
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
BREMNER
On our way North we pull in at Bremner. This is still in mining country- but less shiny this time- coal. A sad sight was the monument for people killed here in a mining disaster in the 1860s. Plaques has been added for those killed in other mining accidents in NZ, including the Pike River disaster just last year,which happened not too far from the area.
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
Old mine- bremner
Remnants of old mining equipment are scattered all around and what remains of the buildings is being overgrown by vegetation. It seems amazing how much effort and money would have been invested in places like these and now it's all just left behind. However it's not quite forgotten, in true NZ tourism style there are great information boards around the site to tell you all the history.
REEFTON
Our next stop off is Reefton....you guessed it, an old gold mining town! A lovely place , it's like a more realistic version of Arrowtown (the touristy little gold mining town next to QT). It has the same wooden victorian buildings but most shops/bars seemed geared at locals rather than tourists.
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
This was the first place in NZ to get electricity in 1988! I kid.... it was about 100 yrs before in 1888, just 2 years after New York switched on! While the town didn't advance a whole lot further than that initial flirtation with 'new fangled-ness', it is amazing to think that if the influx of people had remained the same rate, this little town could have easily become something like San Francisco!
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
 |
| From Gold towns of the westcoast |
We do some nice walks and explore the town but much to my dissapointment the main attraction "The Bearded Mining Company" is closed that day- a yard where a few local guys stay in character as old timey miners and teach you how to find gold!
We never did manage to strike it lucky and find a Roddy nugget to sneak home- but we are well informed on how to go about looking for one, should it ever take our fancy! Rob has the beard already- so we're practically half way there.
