Little Kiwi pots of gold
New Zealand’s tiny towns are home to some of our best hidden gems, from an emerald lake, to cliffs that look like they’re from the moon, as Brook Sabin and Radha Engling find out.
On our 100-day road trip around New Zealand, we have stumbled across a lot of tiny towns. Here are are favourites.
St Bathans: Central Otago
This lovingly restored mining town, which hugs the side of an emerald lake, is the heritage equivalent of finding a pot of gold at the end of a metal road.
St Bathans began as a tent city after gold was struck in 1861, and quickly turned into a bustling town with 13 hotels, banks, a hospital, and even a jail.
By 1934, the enormous mine pit was starting to encroach on the town, so it was allowed to fill with water; creating amagical blue lake, lined with lunar-like cliffs.
The result is a stunningly beautiful scar on the landscape.
Grab lunch at the Vulcan Hotel, constructed of mudbrick in 1882, then stroll around the lakeside walkways. The stone schoolhouse, Anglican mudbrick church, and original post office still stand.
Clyde: Central Otago
When visiting St Bathans, you’ll want to continue your drive to Clyde, less than an hour away.
The historic mining town has a renewed sense of energy, with boutique shops, a five-star heritage hotel (The Lord Clyde), and an exceptional restaurant, Olivers.
Don’t miss the short drive to Cromwell and its beautifully restored old town.
Karamea: West Coast
This tiny West Coast town is an excellent base for some of the country’s most intrepid day trips.
Start with the pa¯rara Basin, an extensive set of limestone caves that were formed more than 35 million years ago.
There are two outstandingwalking tracks. The first is to the pa¯rara Arch, the largest natural rock arch in the southern hemisphere. The second is the smaller Moria Gate Arch, which you can descend using a chain to walk inside.
The highlight of the area is a 15-kilometre subterranean maze known as the Honeycomb Caves. You can explore just over a kilometre on a special guided tour, which reveals stunning underground waterfalls and even moa bones.
Oban: Stewart Island Ahipara: Far North
This little surf village, near Kaita¯ia, has the potential to be the next Raglan, and it’s taken another step towards that with a beautiful new place to stay. ¯O
The Huts is all about minimalist rustic luxury, with an intense focus on the environment.
Designed to look like the seaweed picker huts that are dotted¯O around the nearby reef, the basic pared-back interiors offer a sense of calm that makes it easy to relax.
The bedding is made from a natural sunflower foam (ultra-comfortable and without nasty chemicals), and the duvet is organic cotton. In the morning, fresh hot bread arrives on your doorstep, to be enjoyed with organic treats and spreads.
The Huts has a distant view of the surfing hub, Shipwreck Bay, but the most enjoyable part is falling asleep to the roar of the waves. This is a place designed for sleep-ins and long walks on the beach – you have 90 miles at your disposal. (Although, technically, 90 Mile Beach is actually 55 miles (88 kilometres) long.)
One of the country’s most charming small towns is Oban, the capital of Stewart Island.
Almost all the 450 or so people who call our third-largest island home live in this town, and South Sea Hotel is the centre of activity. Here, locals gather for quiz nights beside visitors tucking into hearty servings of locally caught cod. If you’re keen to see some of the country’s best
If you’re looking for something to do in summer, mountain scenery, the drive from Queenstown to there are still plenty of flights for $112.50 each way. the Mackenzie District is amust.
And you get the thrill of landing on a little airstrip You get a resort-style experience in up in the hills. Queenstown, a scenic drive through Cromwell, the
Once on the island, you’ll have the charming Lindis Pass and Lake Pu¯kaki, then the grandeur of little village to explore, alongside dozens of Aoraki/Mt Cook to finish it off. walking tracks. Stewart¯IslandinOisordinarilyaOnthisjourney,spendanight ma¯rama, favourite with overseas tourists, so this may be the visiting the dramatic Clay Cliffs, which look like best summer to explore without crowds. they are straight from Turkey’s Cappadocia,
ma¯rama: Waitaki
known for its lunar-like landscape.
In the evening, soak in a private pool at Hot ¯ TubsO ma¯rama before the drive up through Twizel to Aoraki/Mt Cook the next morning.
Reefton: West Coast
If you’re a gin lover, Reefton is amust visit on your small-town hit list. The old goldmining stronghold seemed destined for a slow decline until budding entrepreneurs decided to focus on restoration and making gin the big game in town.
In 2017, the Reefton Distilling Co was formed, combining pure mountain water with highcountry botanicals to create a unique West Coast drop.
The distillery has won a number of international awards, and raised more than $3 million to expand its operation. For $35, experience a small tour of the factory, then go on a sensory journey through the rainforest with a tasting at the bar.
There are plans for a bigger distillery alongside a blueprint to reinvigorate the town with other tourist attractions. The gold rush may be over, but the gin rush is under way.
Whangamo¯mona: Taranaki
This tiny town will swell to about 60 times its population in January to celebrate Independence Day. The village is found in the remote heart of the Forgotten World Highway, an enchanting drive through thick bush and rolling farmland in Taranaki’s hinterland.
The village jokingly declared itself a republic in 1989. Since then it has elected a goat – amongmany unusual candidates – as president.
On January 23 next year, the village holds its biannual election, when numbers swell from the 50 usual residents to more than 3000.
You’ll need to buy a $5 passport to enter (border staff take up positions on the road).
When you arrive, according to Independence Day proceedings, ‘‘there will be sheep, possums,
dogs, a cow and even slippery, slimy eels’’ alongside stalls selling ‘‘local delicacies’’.
Franz Josef: West Coast
The small glacier village has been hit hard by Covid-19. It was home to one of the busiest helipads in the southern hemisphere, ferrying tourists to the glaciers, but it’s now much quieter.
However, the town is beginning to spark back into life: the five-star TeWaonui Rainforest Retreat has come out of hibernation and is offering substantial discounts to attract Kiwis. The neighbouring Glacier Hot Pools also reopened this month.
After a day hiking to the glaciers, soak in the hot pools before unwinding in the heavenly hotel. You won’t get a chance to do it any cheaper.
Ra¯wene: Far North
This charming little town in Hokianga Harbour is brimming with rustic charm. Colourful buildings line the waterfront representing its own style of renaissance.
Ra¯wene is the third-oldest European settlement in the country, and is full of interesting tales and character buildings.
Catch the ferry to Kohukohu, which describes itself as being full of ‘‘musicians, artists, writers, forward thinkers, environmentalists, conservationists, craftspeople and gardeners’’. It’s a quaint little place – a village of yesteryear – where housie is still played on Thursday nights.
Brook Sabin and Radha Engling are travelling the length of New Zealand on a Stuff Travel nationwide road trip in a new Hyundai Kona Electric. The vehicle has 449km of real-world range on a single charge, for more information, visit hyundai.co.nz/ kona-electric.