Greymouth & New Zealand Information
Greymouth, New Zealand
About Greymouth
Greymouth is the largest town on the West Coast, and the commercial centre of the region.
The Tranz Alpine train arrives from and departs to Christchurch daily. Daily transport services to and from other South Island and West Coast centres are provided by a number of coach and shuttle companies. Hokitika Airport (30 minutes drive south of Greymouth) is where you will arrive and links in with Christchurch International Airport.
Greymouth is fortunate to be situated right in the heart of the West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Greymouth is a, medium sized river port town of 13,000 people on the coast of the Tasman Sea.
History
The first dwellings at the Grey River mouth were constructed by Maori at Cobden (a suburb of Greymouth), later this site was abandoned in preference for a south bank location known as Mawhera Pa.
European settlement followed the discovery of coal and gold. In July 1865, Rochford's early surveyed grid of the town was forgotten and the river front became the real axis. Virtually the entire business section crowded along the crescent of Richmond and Mawhera Quays, giving rise to 'Crescent City' as an early name for Greymouth.
While the town expanded and changed, it was always vulnerable to the forces of nature, and successive floods wreaked havoc. Early European settlement was based around the goldfields and the coal mine. Fires and floods have destroyed many early records, but many 'old Greymouth' buildings still remain. Following two major floods in 1988, the Greymouth Flood wall was begun. Completed in 1990, it stands as a symbol of defiance against the threat of flooding from the mighty Grey River.
About New Zealand
New Zealand is one of the world’s newest and least crowded countries. New Zealand was the last major landmass to be discovered and with New Zealand size being similar to Japan and the United Kingdom but with a population of just over 4 million it makes it a very unpopulated country.
To find out more information about New Zealand and with some key facts please visit the Tourism New Zealand Website on this link. http://www.newzealand.com/travel/about-nz/about-nz-home.cfm
The Legend of Poutini
To Maori the West Coast of the South Island is known as Te Tai o Poutini or simply Tai Poutini. Legend is that Poutini was a taniwha, (a giant water being) swimming up and down the rough seas off Te Tai o Poutini protecting both the people and the spiritual essence (or mauri) of pounamu (greenstone or nephrite jade).
To read more of this Legend please follow this link. http://www.westcoastdhb.org.nz/about_us/the_legend_of_poutini.asp
Map of West Coast