BOOMTOWN REVIVAL The metamorphosis of a mining community
There is no peak-hour traffic in Reefton. At 7.30 on a Monday morning, with the mist shrouding the surrounding hills, I’m strolling up the main drag of Broadway. It’s blissfully quiet and empty. It’s hard to believe more than a thousand people live here on the doorstep of the West Coast’s spectacular wilderness region – nestled between the pristine, 250,000-hectare Victoria Conservation Park and Paparoa ranges, and with its very own micro-climate.
It’s a beautiful part of the country and Reefton is a heritage-laden town (it has achieved Tohu Whenua landmark status) that’s increasingly becoming a year-round tourist magnet.
The town’s rich past, steeped in the history of the West Coast’s gold and coal mining eras, is now being preserved and revitalised for future generations.
And with that comes exciting new business opportunities.
The revitalisation
