Who we are
20 odd years ago Paul Thomas arrived in Reefton to care for the Victoria Conservation Park as a Department of Conservation manager. Over his time on the coast he fell in love with the land and people that live up to the reputation of "west coasters".
In 2005 Paul Thomas and Ronnie Buckman bought the historic Broadway Tearooms, right in the heart of the town. Opening in around 1874, the tearooms started serving the miners and their families.... now 125 years later, led by Paul and Ronnie the team of eleven still bake and cook great food that people come back again and again for.
While the cafe and bakery is their passion, another passion they both hold dear is the history of the town and the many historic places and buildings from the 1870s that remain. Add in the town of today and the great community we have here and our local historic group, the Reefton Historic Trust Board started offering historic tours of Reefton and neighbouring Blacks Point. With a modern day gold mine opening 'up the hill' at the Globe, the next natural step was to put their names forward to provide the gold mine tours also. And the rest is history so to say.
You may be wondering... what is a former doc consersvationalist doing on an open pit mine?
Paul and residents of Reefton know the importance of mining, they see how it can be carefully managed for the environment and they also see how much value is gained through mining.
Paul’s opinion is that it is important to help give people information so they can make up their own mind about open cast mining. "After all the years of taking thousands of people up to the mine, we have only had one guest leave not fully convinced that this style of mining is an exciting and acceptable way to improve the country's economy and manage the environment sustainability. Being a "greenie" myself even I am convinced" - Paul Thomas
Our Team
This family owned and operated business is proud of their beautiful part of the county and can’t wait to introduce you to their backyard.
- Paul Thomas
- Ronnie Buckman
- Graham Gollan
- Les Wright
- Nikki Smith
- Debbie Woolhouse
Through the tours and the tearoom, Ronnie, Paul and the team have set out to create a unique experience. Why not spend a day or two Reefton and explore their backyard?