Surf and sunsets the new gold
You could be forgiven for driving through Orepuki and missing its beauty. The one-time Southland gold-mining town is a gem in its own right. Georgina Oldfield meets the laidback locals.
It could be labelled as ambitious – a plan by a pair of possum hunters to renovate a vacant villa in a neardeserted town in the hope of turning the property into a cafe.
But Orepuki Beach Cafe owners Brian McGrath and Penny Sonnenberg did exactly that, and they haven’t looked back since.
Not realising how much work would be involved in doing the cafe up, the couple attempted to complete the renovation themselves but soon contracted a builder to do the job.
Four years after launching their plan, they were open for business.
Orepuki Beach Cafe – one of only two businesses in town – prides itself on fresh produce, much of it coming from a plot nearby.
The owners grow their own vegetables, garnishes, and they have land where they graze lamb and beef cattle for the cafe.
For McGrath, it is all about keeping the ingredients as natural as possible.
‘‘We grow coriander, thyme, flowers for garnish, parsley, cauliflower, broccoli, new season potatoes, fennel, beetroot [and we have] texel sheep and beef cows.’’
It’s that commitment to fresh, quality produce that earned the Orepuki Beach Cafe a broad following of locals and tourists alike, and when it won the New Zealand Cafe of the Year in 2018, it helped elevate the town’s profile.
Almost in homage to the life it once led, the restored villaturned-cafe has a homely feel about it. The fire is on and patrons chat with the owners, creating a close-knit family feeling.
The town itself is the same – everyone knows everyone.
Situated close to Riverton and Tuatapere, and 66km west of Invercargill, Orepuki is on the Southern Scenic Route and gets plenty of traffic driving through, especially in summer.
Orepuki is a popular destination for a Southlander’s Sunday drive. It’s almost a case of blink-and-you’ll miss-it, but you can catch a sense of the town’s former glory if you slow down and look around to appreciate the abandoned stores and gold-mining relics.
Once a gold-mining settlement of 3000 people, this coastal gem is now home to roughly 60 people. Most of the population could fit into the cafe for lunch.
The discovery of coal and shale in 1879 put Orepuki on the map.
In the 1860s, gold was discovered in the town and the population began to grow quickly as prospectors sailed boats from Dunedin.
Some gold miners also discovered coal in their mines, which led to an oil shale works being opened up.
These days, no mines operate in the coastal settlement.
Sheep and beef farmers Jeanette and Phil Sellwood were attracted to the area for the recreational activities it offers.
For Phil, it was exactly the type of place he was wanting to settle in, to enjoy deer hunting, fishing and to make the most of life on the coast.
Jeanette was born in Orepuki, shifted away in 1988 and came back in 2004.
She remembers a bustling town – the butchery, bakery and drapery shop opposite the tavern, and two banks and a post office.
Deer farmers Robynne and Chris O’Connell moved to Orepuki in 2001. They enjoy the town’s laidback feel, and the hunting and sea the place offers. It’s a change of pace. ‘‘[Orepuki] is quiet, if you want to get away from the rat race,’’ Robynne says.
For Chris, the town’s appeal likes in the casual nature of the location, the locals’ laidback approach and the way they look out for each other.
The other standing business in the town is the Orepuki Tavern, and you know you’re in Southland when you arrive here.
Full of Southland memorabilia, and Speight’s signage, the tavern sits only 300 metres away from the cafe and is known by the locals as a place to sit back and relax or enjoy a cold one.
Tavern owner Alastair McCracken is not only serving alcohol – he does a roaring trade renting out a plot out the back to freedom campers, is registered with the NZ Motor Home Association with Park Over Property, and offers a coin-operated laundry, toilet and food supplies, which he can bring down to the beach for campers.
Given the influx of freedom campers in the town, particularly in summer, McCracken saw a niche in the market and aims to offer more than just a pub experience.
He also believes the growing tourism industry made investing in the tavern worthwhile.
‘‘I could see it always had potential for growth. If it’s holiday makers, people investing in property for the future, properties are selling and prices are sneaking up gradually.’’
McCracken’s regulars come from Riverton and Tuatapere but many come from all over New Zealand, some as far as Whangerei and
Whakata¯ ne.
The tourism is a strong point in the summer time, he says.
Arrowtown resident Andy Pedley thinks of Orepuki as the perfect place to get out of the hustle and bustle of Queenstown, and go off the grid for a while.
Pedley, who is working on being semi-retired and bought a house in the town three years ago, is also subdividing a different place and built a tiny house for his parents to stay at Christmas.
For Pedley and his family, the surfing right at their doorstep, and the sunsets, were the main drawcard.
‘‘You have adventure or you can put your feet up and just do nothing.’’
The scenery is like nothing else Pedley has experienced. Coming from Queenstown and never getting to see a sunset, and then in Orepuki being able to see the sun drop into the sea is amazing, he says.