Nelson to Reefton
West Coast Self Drive Travel Guide

  Travel Facts
Distance: 209km (129 miles)
Approximately: 2 hours 50 minutes
Road Conditions:
State Highway 6 Nelson to Inangahua Junction.
State Highway 69 Inanagahua Junction to Reefton.

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Allow yourself a day to really enjoy this jouney through the incredible Buller Gorge Road.

 

Nelson - Kawatiri Junction - Murchison - Inangahua - Reefton

The drive south from Nelson follows State Highway 6 all the way to Westport. Passing through Wakefield and Belgrove before crossing Spooners Saddle in the Golden Downs Forest this first section is an easy drive and quickly covered. Crossing the saddle we arrive at Kohatu Junction where SH 61 from Motueka joins State Highway 6.

Kawatiri Junction

From Kohatu Junction we continue south on State Highway 6 through the Motupiko River Valley over the Hope Saddle and on to Kawatiri Junction and our meeting with the mighty Buller River.

At the Kawatiri Junction State Highway 63 meets our route State Highway 6. There are a number of short walks in the area centered around the Historic railway.

 

Nelson - Kawatiri Junction - Murchison - Inangahua - Reefton

Murchison, Nelson Tasman, New Zealand

From Kawatiri the road follows the mighty Buller through 35kms of farmed river flats and Beech forest to Murchison. Although part of the Nelson Region, Murchison is our first introduction to the glory and green that is the scenic beauty of the West Coast and Buller Region.

First known as Hampden, Murchison sprang to life with the discovery of gold and later grew into farming. Devastated on the 17th of June 1929 by an earthquake that killed 17 people as it wrenched the mountainsides blocking rivers and cutting roads. The Museum here is well worth a visit.

 

Nelson - Kawatiri Junction - Murchison - Inangahua - Reefton

Just after leaving Murchison the Buller River enters the upper Gorge where the earthquake slips and river rapids are a spectacular sight. At O'Sullivans bridge we cross the Buller and a few minutes later come to the Buller Gorge Swing Bridge.

Gold Rush Jet on the Buller, New Zealand

Activites here include, numerous walks from 15 minutes to an hour, Gold Rush Jet Boat, Supaman rides and the Flying Fox, (Zip line) across the river.

At 110 metres in length the Buller Gorge Swingbridge is New Zealands longest swing bridge, and stands a clear 17 metres above the Buller River.

At Lyell there is an interesting 90 minute return walk through the forest to a stamping battery which crushed gold-bearing quartz from the Croesus Mine. Other features along the way include a goldfield cemetery and interesting tailings (mounds of stones) left by alluvial miners after gold-bearing gravels had been sluiced away. Return the same way.

The walkway begins at the Lyell picnic and camping area, located 35 km from Murchison, the area is well sign posted.

Inangahua

The township of Inangahua was devasted by the earthquakes of 1928 and 1967 that hit the region. The Inangahua Hall has an excellent historic display recounting the tremendous power of these two events.

 

Nelson - Kawatiri Junction - Murchison - Inangahua - Reefton

A few minutes from the township we come to the Inangahua Junction and our meeting with State Highway 69 to Reefton. Here we bid farewell to SH6 and the mighty Buller as we follow the Inangahua River through farmland river flats between the Paparoa and Victoria Ranges to Reefton in the heart of the Victoria Park Forest.

 

Nelson - Kawatiri Junction - Murchison - Inangahua - Reefton

Reefton is a picturesque town full of history. Known as the "the Town of Light" it was the first town in the southern hemisphere to have a public supply of electricity, even before many of the more fashionable suburbs of London and New York.

Established about 1870 Reefton has its beginning like most other places on the West Coast, with the discovery of gold bearing quartz reefs in the late 1860s. It is these Reefs that gave the town its name.

The Bearded Miners Reefton, West Coast. New Zealand

Modern Reefton has a stable population of approximately 1100 and a vibrant community spirit. The town and the people have a strong sense of identity, wrapped around the town's historic past.

Many of the original and valued heritage buildings with their distinctive wooden architecture still service the area after 130 years. These include a number of shops on Reefton's main street, Broadway, which have been carefully adapted for today's use.

Proudly part of the Buller District, that incorporates the northern West Coast from Punakaiki north to Karamea, Reefton remains a unique mining town one of the few where gold is still won from the surrounding district.

For more indepth information visit www.reefton.co.nz

Welcome to Reefton - enjoy your stay

This Guide last Updated: February 2011.