Reefton - town in Buller District, New Zealand

Reefton is a small inland town beside the Inangahua River in the West Coast region of New Zealand. With a population of 1,000, it is the 4th biggest town on the West Coast.

Understand

The town got its name after veins of gold were found in a quartz reef in the 19th century. Gold mining and coal mining have been major industries in the area. The Reefton hydroelectric power station came into operation in 1888 and the town became the first in the Southern Hemisphere to have a public electricity supply.

• i-SITE Visitor Centre, 67–69 Broadway, -42.1197°, 171.8644°. Information for visitors. 2018-12-15

Get in

It is 77 km (1 hr) north-east of Greymouth on State Highway 7, and also 77 km (1 hr) south-east of Westport.

Get around

You can walk through the town.

See

• Black's Point Museum, Franklyn St, Blacks Point (2 km east of Reefton on SH 7), -42.1314°, 171.8820°. Open from Labour Weekend to Easter. 2018-12-15
• Hale Gallery & Reefton Gallery, 29A Broadway, -42.11981°, 171.86757°. 2018-12-15
• Miners Hut & the Bearded Mining Company, 67–69 Broadway, -42.1196°, 171.8667°. Daily 11am-4pm. See how gold miners lived and worked in the 1860s. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Distilling Co., 10 Smith St. Daily 10AM-4PM. 2018-12-15
• Reefton School of Mines. Times by arrangement with i-SITE. Has a mineral collection. Adult $2 2018-12-15

Do

• Bottled Lightning Powerhouse Walk. 40 min loop from i-SITE Visitor Centre over a footbridge across the Inangahua River to the remains of the historic Reefton Power Station, which started operation in 1888. Continue on Rosstown Rd to the main road bridge back to town. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Cinema, Shiel St. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Swimming Pool, The Strand. Heated to 28 degrees. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Walkway. 40 min walk from the upper end of Broadway up the hill to views of the town. Come down via Bridges St and you'll pass the historic Court House and Oddfellows Hall. 2018-12-15
• Rollerpark, The Strand. Open to skateboards, BMXs and rollerblades. 2018-12-15
• Trout fishing. 2018-12-15

Buy

Eat

• Alfresco's Eatery & Pizzeria, 16 Broadway. Daily. 2018-12-15
• Broadway Tearooms and Bakery, 31 Broadway. Daily 6:30am-5pm. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Foursquare, 47 Broadway. Daily 8am-7pm. Grocery store. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Supervalue, 65 Broadway. Grocery store. 2018-12-15

Drink

• Dawson's Hotel, 74 Broadway. Daily from 11am. Dining. Has motel accommodation behind the hotel. 2018-12-15
• Hotel Reefton, 75 Broadway. Daily. 2018-12-15
• Wilson's Hotel, 32 Broadway, +64 37328800. Tu - Su. Historical mining pub with basic accommodation, pool, drinks and great meals. Good reviews about the roast and lamb shanks. 2018-12-15

Sleep

• Alfresco Historic Villas, 16 Broadway. 2018-12-15
• Bellbird Motel, 93 Broadway, -42.1197°, 171.8627°. Seven units, a cottage and a villa. The site, and especially the villa, is on the corner of the highways, so trucks may be rumbling past in the night. From $90 (1 person), $105 (2 ppl) 2018-12-15
• CS Accommodation, 3 Racecourse Rd. 2018-12-15
• Lantern Court Motels, 63 Broadway. 2018-12-15
• No. 10 Blacks Point, Blacks Point. 2018-12-15
• Old Nurses Home Guesthouse, 104 Shiel St. Single ($70), double or twin ($90 for two) and shared bathrooms, and double apartment with en suite ($150 for two). 2018-12-15
• Quartz Lodge Bed & Breakfast, 78 Shiel St. 2018-12-15
• Reef Cottage Bed & Breakfast, 55 Broadway. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Hideaway, 20 Crampton Rd. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Motor Camp, The Strand. 2018-12-15
• Reefton Railway Historic Cottage, 24 Hattie St. 2018-12-15

Connect

Go next

• Greymouth
• Westport