Art & Culture Attractions

Gold Rush Bones and Brewery Stops

The West Coast's art and culture scene is pretty much anchored in its rugged past. Hokitika has a genuine pounamu carving experience where you can get hands-on with the real stuff, not just browse a shelf of souvenirs. Greymouth's Monteiths Brewery tour is a decent wet-afternoon option, especially if the weather has turned on you. And if you're passing through the coalfields near Greymouth, the Brunner Mine Site is a well-preserved slice of West Coast industrial history that doesn't get nearly the foot traffic it deserves.

Heritage That Earns Its Keep

Shantytown, just south of Greymouth, is a rebuilt gold rush town with an old steam train and enough atmosphere to hold the attention for a couple of hours. It's a bit of a replica but done well enough that most people enjoy it more than they expected. Mitchells Gully Goldmine is the quieter alternative - original mine shafts, tunnels, glowworms, and none of the tour buses. If you're already interested in the region's mining history, that one's worth knowing about.