Heritage Tours
It’s not often that you can catch a glimpse into New Zealand’s early past in a morning stroll. Sure by the worlds standards the kiwi culture is pretty young, but in the scale of our national history, 150 years was a heck of a long time ago. Join us for a morning’s stroll to delve into Reefton’s rich heritage.
- Learn about the discovery of gold bearing quartz reefs.
- Explore the historic buildings dating back to the 1870s.
- Visit a 1860s style housing.
- Learn how a miner lived in the 19th century.
- Have a cup of billy tea with the Bearded Miners.
- See an extensive collection of memorabilia.
- Watch a working Stamper Battery in full swing – used to crush rock and extract gold.
- Walk through beautiful beech forest accompanied by tui and bellbird.
Find out more about Reefton’s colourful mining history, take the Heritage Walk around the town.
ITS EASY TO ARRANGE YOUR TOUR
you can book at any NZ i-site or contact us direct:
A thing or two about Reefton
Celebrating our pioneers and understanding where we come from is something that most kiwi’s will tell you they are passionate about. And the locals at Reefton are no exception. There are many passionate historians in Reefton who put in hours of voluntary time and finance to record and display over 150 years of history in the region. It’s not hard to see why as there is so much to tell. Reefton was a melting pot for a range of religions and cultures. Knocking all these heads together brought a lot of inspiration. If you didn't know already, in August 1888 Reefton became the first place in New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere to have a public supply of electricity. Well before the fashionable suburbs of London and New York.
Stroll through Reefton’s golden past
Through our social history tour we walk you through the town stopping in on the way to volunteer’s museums and tributes to the lives of the early residents of Reefton. You will learn about why they came, how they lived and how through guts, hard work and determination helped to shape the nation of New Zealand with many pioneering firsts, wealth and values.
We introduce you to the bearded miners who will shout you a cup of billy tea. We walk you through the local museum and historic sites and show you an extensive collection of memorabilia including the first street electric street light in the Southern Hemisphere, a working Stamper Battery used crush rock and extract gold and a sizable boulder with a quartz seam - laden with gold inside - just as nature left it.
So, what are you waiting for?
Call into the Broadway Tea Rooms for some brekki and with your walking shoes ready to go, join us for a special guided tour delving into Reefton’s Heritage.
Specific tours can be developed to meet your interest or time available. The route and tour time for the Heritage Reefton / Heritage Reefton & Blacks Point tour can range from half an hour through to three hours for the full Reefton and Blacks Point experience. Tours include morning or afternoon tea with the Bearded Miners. Catering for morning and afternoon tea, lunch, etc. is also available.