Known as the biggest hub on the West Coast of South Island, one imply must not miss Greymouth when on vacation in NZ. Pick up a rental car from Greymouth airport and head off to explore this fantastic city full of adventure!
Drive down to Greymouth‘s Brunner Mine Site in your rental car to learn more about New Zealanders, also locally known as kiwis. This 2-kilometre walk meanders about coke ovens, a brick factory and remains of mine tunnel entrances. There are interactive displays detailing the history of this site, adding a more educational flavour to this trip. Don’t forget to stop by Greymouth’s Lake Brunner too. Located a stone’s throw away, this inland lake is surrounded by picture perfect rainforests and mountains. This little-known lake has plenty of trails and walks around it. Take a stroll along one of these trails and admire the blue sky mirrored in the reflective dark waters. Truly a sight to behold.
When in Greymouth, one has to visit a brewery. Greymouth is famed as the base of one of New Zealand’s biggest beer brands. Consider picking up your rental car from Greymouth airportand head down to Monteith’s. Get a guided tour through the brewery to learn about the beer making process and view the inner workings of this working brewery. Rich in history and all things fascinating, it is an eye-opening experience not to be missed since Monteith is the beer capital of NZ.
Greymouth is considered the heart of the West Coast, so you’ll find many galleries specialising in native NZ culture and activities dotted about the town. Take a drive around Greymouth town centre in your hire car and admire the many shops hawking pounamu, New Zealand jade. Other popular activities in Greymouth include sea fishing, fly fishing and rafting.
From Greymouth airport, pick up your hire car and head down to Shantytown to understand the area’s gold mining history. Providing good fun for kids and those young at heart, Shantytown is a recreated 1860s gold mining town with a church, hospital and workshops, all painstakingly crafted to encapsulate the sprit of prospectors then. Visitors can try their hand at gold panning and enjoy the steam train ride into the native NZ bush.
Then there are the museums and galleries abound in Greymouth. Plan a trip in your hire car to Greymouth’s Left Bank Art Gallery. This former bank boasts contemporary NZ jade carvings, ceramics, paintings and photographs within its century old walls. Talk about a slice of history! The History House Museum is also worth a visit. Travel to this pictorial museum to get a glimpse of Greymouth’s gold rush days. This 1924 building has undergone earthquake strengthening and has been reopened for visitors to learn more about the golden days of the town’s mining era.
Greymouth is full of nature, fun and activities that will leave travellers of all ages spoilt for choice. Get your rental car from Hertz when in Greymouth, New Zealand, to travel around with ease!
