Historic Hotel to host open day
New Zealand’s oldest licensed pub the Hurunui Hotel, will be opening its doors this weekend giving people an opportunity see the significant repairs which have taken place this year.
The 150-year-old limestone building has been closed since being damaged in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in November 2016.
Owners Rodger and Nola Strong received a $132,500 taxpayer heritage grant at the start of the year, with resource and building consents for the project in place work was able to start right away.
The hotel has a category one heritage listing. Its stone blocks are layered with a mixture of tussock, clay and lime and not reinforced. The old hotel was identified as quake-prone in 2012 and required to be strengthened within 25 years.
After the November 2016 earthquake, while run by lessees, it was red-stickered and closed. A function centre and guest accommodation in cottages, cabins and a campervan park remained open.
Now the community will have the opportunity to see for themselves the restorations when the complex opens for one day only on Queen’s Birthday Monday June 4 from 10am.
The public can have a guided tour of the hotel whilst discussing the repair/ restructuring work that has gone on post quake and learn the history and future plans of Hurunui’s most iconic heritage building.
Door sales are $5 per person or a donation for a family.
A market day has also been organised for guests to enjoy, with coffee, food, entertainment, supervised children’s area and vast range of new and old goodies for sale.
All proceeds of the entrance fees on the day will go to Waiau Playcentre to help with its fundraising efforts for a new Playcentre building after the damage to its existing building caused by the November quake.