WILD YET WELCOMING
West it may be, but I didn’t find the West Coast as wild as one would expect. Untamed and a little unruly, perhaps, but by no means wildly wicked, and the locals were certainly charming and welcoming! I set out from Christchurch on a grey and rather wet day which meant that my leisurely drive across the Canterbury Plains wasn’t as scenic as I’d hoped it would be. Southerly winds, thankfully, meant that once I reached Arthur’s Pass and crested the mountainous spine of New Zealand’s South Island, I was blessed with brilliant sunshine and clear skies all the way to the horizon.
Everyone I’d spoken to prior to my trip had recommended wet weather gear. “The West Coast is constantly wet,” they all told me. Well, I have to belie that myth – my four days were spent in beautiful sunshine while Cantabrians on the other side of the mountains wallowed in rain. I do have to admit though, that the change of scenery from one side of the Alps to the other did
give rise to the theory of the west being wetter than the east. The Plains were brown from one end to the other and, while the West Coast side bore the signs of a much drier summer, there certainly was a lot more greenery to the pastures and scrubland.
My journey was punctuated with very little traffic and the road was in great condition, so I made very good time over the pass, even allowing for coffee and photo stops along the way. It was rather alien seeing the barren ski fields of Craigieburn and Temple bereft of their snowy winter capes, although there was still a smattering right at the very peaks.
The TranzAlpine train stops conveniently at Moana, the main township at the northern end of Lake Brunner. This popular destination offers rivers and streams that team with visitors in the summer months. Here you can fly fish for trout, go birdwatching amidst a rainforest ecosystem, take short or long hikes or simply enjoy life on the water.
Just before Kumara, I noticed a sign for an old swimming bath site. Curiosity piqued, I made a safe u-turn and pulled into the
small layby to investigate. Apparently, this unique stone-edged pool was once the largest swimming complex in the country and even boasted a diving board! Built by volunteer labour during the Depression, it proved extremely popular with the local community, and formed part of a larger recreational area that included a cricket ground and basketball court. Sadly, it lost its water supply from the Dillmanstown Kapitea Reservoir in the 1940’s, and is now registered as an historic place.
In Kumara itself, I discovered the remains of former NZ Premier Richard John Sneddon’s house – literally remains as all that’s still visible are a few wall and chimney foundations. Sneddon, or King Dick as he was named, moved to Kumara from Wellington in 1876 and established the Queen’s Hotel and ran a store and butchery. He identified closely with the miners and became the first mayor of Kumara before moving into national politics.
A little further into town is the newly renovated Theatre Royal. Constructed circa 1876 in the height of the local gold rush, this meticulously restored gem reopened late 2012. It’s a fine spot to stop for a delicious bite to eat in the popular restaurant, to mill with locals in the thriving bar area, to enjoy a sundowner at one of the many outdoor tables, or to lay your head overnight in one of their historic rooms. They even serve elegant high teas on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and have been known to host incredible functions and weddings. As my visit coincided with Wildfoods, the chef tried to talk me into trying some of the specials, but the extensive menu had my mouth watering – homemade damper, West Coast whitebait, stuffed mushrooms, venison hot pot, green lipped mussels ….who needed sweetbreads?
Kerrie and Mark Fitzgibbon have taken a derelict wreck and transformed it into the social hub it is today – a remarkable achievement. Getting a building of this age up to today’s building code required an incredible amount of lateral thinking in order to retain the historic ambiance and proportion of the rooms. Two years of hard work stand the local tradesmen proud. Kerry also tells of the heartbreak of having sourced antiques and collectibles and storing them in Christchurch during the rebuild. Then came the earthquake and everything was lost, resulting in her having to start her search for appropriate furnishings from scratch.
On the accommodation side of things, there are six suites and a miner’s cottage. All suites are named for prior owners, “tenants” and local characters, and have a rich individual history. For instance, the Scottish Sandy’s Room, named after a one-legged, kilt-wearing Scot who played his bagpipes to warn moonshiners of imminent police raids. Then there’s the Barbara Weldon Room, also known as the Bordello. Barbara was one of this country’s most infamous prostitutes and this room was the original working girl’s room.
Sadly for me, Theatre Royal was fully booked that evening, so after a great meal and Parnell-perfect coffee I made my way out to the car park, started my engine, and headed towards the coast.
A few short kilometres down the road, I tossed up ... Turn left to Hokitia and my accommodation, or take the right turn to Greymouth and the Monteiths Brewery? You’ll have to join me next issue to see what I decided!