Waiuta

They found gold on King Edward VII’s birthday in 1905 and Waiuta was born. Before the mine and town were abandoned in 1951 about NZ$1.5 billion in today’s dollars were extracted from the Blackwater and Prohibition Shafts.

We drove about thirty minutes from Reefton, the last 8k on an unsealed road, to see what’s left of this once-thriving town of 600 souls. Not a lot. But there’s a certain attraction to abandoned places, don’t you think?

This post is just a picture book. I hope you enjoy it.

The police station (now privately owned)

The post office serves as an information point

The town swimming pool. Wags would sometimes add an eel or two just to excite the swimmers.

Mine shafts (for ventilation, I believe). Now fenced off to avoid unpleasant incidents.

The miners’ bathhouse and boiler room. One fire did double duty. The two large boilers produced steam to power the mine lift. The smaller boiler (below) heated water for bathing.

Firebox and water tank in the bathhouse.

I think we all know how a Realtor would describe this: “fairytale cottage, bring your creativity.”

Jos Divis produced an extensive collection of photos spanning the lifetime of Waiuta. He lived in this house until his death in 1966.

A to-be-restored house with on-site toilet facility

Readers meet gorse. Gorse, readers.

Some would say that the two curses of New Zealand are sandflies and gorse. The former were always here. You can thank the British for the latter. To be fair, I’ve been told that gorse was a well-contained hedge plant in its natural home. But in New Zealand, it spread all over the country. No tramp through the bush is complete without a few leg lacerations.

Finally, I like rust and I can’t lie.

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