Crossing into the

Buller district somewhere north of Greymouth, or west of Murchison, is like popping through the wardrobe to Narnia. At some point, the perspective starts to change. Maybe it's triggered by the genuine greetings of “Morning cobber”, or the welcoming can-do attitude. This attitude is a prized local trait, grown in isolation and coal dust, and passed through generations. Keep in mind that being local here means being third generation or having been in residence for at least 30 years. Until then? “Nope. Not a local.”

This area is shaped by one of the most significant geological activities on our planet – the grinding together of two massive tectonic plates, the Pacific and Australian crusts. On the east side of the Alpine Fault (so massive it is visible from space) the land rises at 1cm a year up-thrusting the Southern Alps and, on the west side, it is tearing apart in a north-south direction. The extraordinary geological forces that created this landscape seeded the minerals that brought the extractive industries here. Much of the region's tourism is centred on its mining history as well as its beautiful landscape. Māori had long searched the valleys and rivers for precious pounamu or greenstone jade. In the late 1800s, gold fever swept up the coast from Hokitika to Reefton with the discovery of gold-laden quartz veins. Coal was discovered shortly after and its mining remains a way of life today for many Coasters. The greenish-grey greywacke, overlaid with a softer sedimentary rock, has coal-bearing seams as well as limestone streams known as karsts. While the karst erodes quickly, leaving the vast underground tunnels, caves, arches and rock formations that attract the tourists, the coal has brought mining. Small, well-worn coal towns mark the artery-like seams running beneath much of Buller. The scars of mining on both humans and the landscape are still healing. Today, approximately 10,000 people call the Buller District home with half living in Westport. That leaves the outlying areas deserted, so companionship often comes in the form of plucky weka, robins – or backpackers.

Buller covers a decent area and getting from one place to another can take time. Take off the watch and turn off the phone – there's driftwood to collect from beaches, tunnels to creep into, arches to discover and pubs with warm fires and people with stories to tell. Reality will wait on the other side of the Alps.