Bustling little Southland township with plenty to offer
Just under 30 minutes drive from Invercargill, the township of Winton is like stepping into another world. It experiences a different climate from that of Invercargill and can often be warm and bright when others are dark and cold. It is a bustling little town that appreciates support from its mainly rural community. The town was established in 1861, and was named after Thomas Winton, who regularly drove stock through this area in the late 1850s. Whilst searching for strayed stock, he had occasion to camp by the banks of the small stream, which became known as Winton Creek. The town took its name from the creek. Winton first came to prominence in the days of the gold rush, as it was one of the stops enroute to the goldfields. Winton was formerly a railway junction but is no longer served by any trains. On 22 February 1871, a railway line from Invercargill was opened to Winton, built to the international standard gauge of 1,435mm. This was the furthest extent of Southland’s standard gauge network, and the next section to Caroline was built to New Zealand’s national gauge, 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) narrow gauge railway. This extension opened on 20 October 1875, ending Winton’s 4.5 years as a railway terminus, and two months later, the line back to Invercargill was converted to 1,067mm gauge. This line grew to be the Kingston Branch. In 1883, a bush tramway was built eastwards from Winton, and in the 1890s, it was rebuilt to railway standards as a branch line and opened as the Hedgehope Branch on 17 July 1899. It established Winton as a railway junction, and the town functioned in this capacity until 1 January 1968, when the Hedgehope Branch closed. The Kingston line, once one of the more important lines in the country, declined during the 1970s, and most of it closed on 13 December 1982, including the portion through Winton. Today, little remains of Winton’s railway, though its route can be discerned. The fine agricultural and pastoral possibilities of the countryside around Winton were recognised at an early stage, and so it came about that Winton is probably the oldest inland town in Southland. Winton was first surveyed in 1863-64. Winton is a typical Southland town, with rivers for trout fishing and farmstays for a taste of rural living. Peace and quiet are guaranteed. Winton is situated on the Invercargill-Queenstown highway. The town is named after Thomas Winton, a well-known stockman of the 1850s who regularly camped in the area. Travellers find Winton a handy refreshment stop on the way north or south – there are character cafe´s and friendly pubs to enjoy. If you fancy a stroll, walk part of 5km the heritage trail which takes in historic treasures built by the region’s European pioneers. If you’re looking for a holiday that’s big on tranquillity, the local rivers are well stocked with brown trout. For an authentic Southland experience, check out the farmstays and country homestays in the area. If you’re from out of town, come on out, say hello, you’ll find some amazing shops, great food in local cafes, no rush, easy free parking, and great local service. There’s always something to do! Winton has some great eateries and bars. There’s some beautiful places to stay and a wide range of accommodation available in Winton, ranging from hotels, to bed and breakfasts. Wander the main street and take a look at what Winton has to offer. They have fashion, food, gifts, one of the best op-shops in the country, through to farm supplies and legal services. While in town, enjoy the beauty of the gardens lining the main street and the many historic buildings. Free internet is available at the Library. Step off the main street and experience some of the other great things going on in Winton, and surrounds. There’s lots of activities such as swimming in the Summer, golf, fishing, walks and the new skatepark is proving popular.
Events Throughout the Year in Winton:
Winton has many amazing events each year. They have a great community market each month, Winton Open Day each November, and a Winton-wide garage sale each February. These are chocka with stalls, music, entertainment and community spirit. For those that love 2-wheeled madness Winton has the popular Farm Jam every second year where BMX, MTB & FMX collide deep in the hills of Winton. They are also lucky enough to host the world’s most southern super cross event every year.
Aside from shopping and eating out, the people of Winton love their sport, and there are various options in town including bowls, croquet, rugby, squash, tennis, netball, cricket and hockey. They have a world class skate park found on John Street which also sits beside a playground, netball courts and rugby grounds. It’s a great place for children and families. You can go hiking, climbing and hunting nearby and the Oreti River is 3km away for trout fishing. The Golf Club provides an 18-hole course set amongst mature trees and during summer, a covered heated swimming pool is open to the public set within the Central Southland College grounds.
Walks in the area:
The Winton Heritage Trail can be walked or driven, is well signed and offers an informative tour of sites of interest. The Ivy Russell Reserve on Winton’s north-west boundary offers a relaxed 20min stroll through plantings of native tree and plants. This is also a great picnic spot. It also is the beginning of the Winton 7.5km walkway which takes you through a fantastic cross section of the best scenic views Winton has to offer. The walkway is walk/ cycle/ pram/ wheelchair friendly. The Forest Hill Reserve Walk is sign posted on the Winton/ lnvercargill highway and takes in weka caves and limestone bluffs. Great views of the Southland Plains can be seen from the viewing platform on a good day. This also has a great picnic area.
Group/Community Activities: New Baby Parent Coffee Group
New baby coffee group session for term 3. Any new babies and their families welcome to join this parenting support group. Meeting fortnightly during term time, new parent coffee groups are a great way to meet new mums with babies of a similar age and stage, who may be in the same boat as you and facing similar challenges. It’s a great opportunity for your wee one to meet and interact with other children and learn valuable friendship skills along to way. We provide the coffee, a yummy morning tea and we offer relevant parenting information and support throughout the sessions including Pepe with the community Karitane nurse, baby massage, first aid, oral health and teething, brain development, heuristic play, wriggle and rhyme active movement for babies, first foods and nutrition etc. All welcome. Central Southland Plunket Rooms, 394 Great North Road, Winton from 10.30am to 12pm. Fortnightly starting 1st August.
Southland Walkers Against Trash
What is SWAT: Southland Walkers Against Trash. A 100% voluntary walking group who want to clean up Southland one trash walk at a time. SWAT recently cleaned up the main road from Gap Road West to Dejoux Road. There were 2 trash walkers covering 1km in 2 hours and they collected seven sacks of rubbish! Another trash walk is scheduled for September. If you would like to join in then contact SWAT via their facebook page.
The Winton Lions Club presents BLUE RIBBON DINNER
Supporting the Prostate Cancer Foundation. September 7, 2018 at 6pm, Top Pub Winton. Key Note Speaker: Michael Hogan - World Shearing & Wool Handling Championship 2017. Tickets $50, available from the Winton Pharmacy. The Winton Lions Club is the proud organiser of this fundraiser. All profits from ticket sales and auction will be donated to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
Senior Citizens group
The Senior Citizens in Winton recently held their Annual General Meeting where Ron Hamilton continues as Chairperson for another 12 months. At the AGM it was decided to cut the concerts back to just one a month, being the first Wednesday of the month. Housie will continue on the last Wednesday of the month. Other activities will continue as usual during the week. Those activities are social indoor bowls on Monday and Thursday afternoons from 1.30 and Euchre on Tuesday from 2pm and ‘500’ on Fridays from 2pm. If you would like to join in on any of these activities please feel free to head along or phone Ron Hamilton on 236 0610 for more information. The club rooms are on John Street, they are warm and welcoming with wheel chair access and both a wheelchair and walker are available at the rooms for those that require them. Also, this month they had a bus trip to Bluff participants all enjoyed a beautiful and very reasonable lunch at ‘The Eagle’ Hotel, purchased oysters to take home from Fowlers and then had an interesting and informative guided tour around Stadium Southland. The day was thoroughly enjoyed by all that went along. The indoor bowls team will venture in to Invercargill this month to defend the trophy they won last year against the Age Concern Southland team. A return match will take place in Winton a few weeks later. This little competition happens on a yearly basis and is usually a fun social occasion. The club would love to see some new faces joining. If you’re new to Winton or would just like to join in for any of the activities or just for the odd bus trip please contact Senior Citizens. And if you are already a Senior Citizens member bring along a friend or someone you think might like some social contact. Club members are friendly and approachable and their subs are just $15 per year.For more information about Winton and news and events, visit www.winton.co.nz