Waiuta Lodge

Lodges, cabins & cottagesYou are here: Parks & recreation > Places to stay > Lodges, cabins & cottages > West Coast > Waiuta Lodge
In this section:
Lodges, cabins & cottages

West CoastMahinapua Cottage Waiuta Lodge Waiuta Lodge
See also:
Bookings:
Reefton Visitor Centre i-SITE Information Centre
Phone: +64 3 732 8391
Address: 67–69 Broadway
Reefton

Email:
Full office details

Getting there
West Coast, near Reefton. Waiuta turn-off signposted off SH 7 just before Ikamatu, 21 km south of Reefton.

Features
This historic lodge is ideal for school groups and provides a great base for outdoor activities and learning about local history. There is an education resource kit available with pre visit, on site and post visit activities and rangers can be booked to give educational talks. The area is rich in historic relics from its mining past and there are excellent short walks nearby.


Waiuta Lodge

Facilities
Sleeps 30 in bunkrooms. Separate rooms for teachers
Full kitchen with electric oven, pots, pans, cooking utensils, crockery and cutlery
Fridge / freezer
Toaster, from zip (wall mounted unit)
Electric heating
Separate toilet block with hot showers and flush toilets
Fees
Adult: $15.00
Youth / child $7.50
School and education groups entitled to a 50% discount.

Hi Alan



Visited your Little Earth display on 16th Jan - absolutely brilliant! We'd stayed at the Waiuta Lodge for three nights the previous weekend as my wife has family connections there. I see you have connections too from your bootmaker display by the door. If Bob Walker was your step-grandfather, I'd pick that your mum was Jean (nee Lewis)?



My wife, Maree's parents both lived at Waiuta in the 1930/40s. Father-in-law Jack Chapman, is son of the picture proprietor (also Jack) and lived there from 1932 till the miners' hall burnt down in '41. My mother-in-law Daphne (nee McDonald) was daughter of Bob McDonald, a miner and lived there from about 1940-42.



Do you belong to the Friends of Waiuta? I've just written up father-in-law Jack's reminiscences of Waiuta and sent them a copy. Having done that, wandering around your model brought things even more to life.



I guess you get continually asked if you've finished the model? I'll ask too! Daph's house is there - the second from the right in the cluster of five heading east (in original Waiuta) from the Anglican Church on the Bottom Road. Jack's first house is there, the second one down the Side Road from the Top Road on the west side (next to Vi Lewis so Jack knew Tommy and Jean as neighbours) but his second one isn't. Going west along the Bottom Road extension after crossing the School Track, there were 4 houses in a group then Reids was a bit further along. I see you've got Wards house on the corner of the School Track and then you miss the next three - the last of these before Reids being Jack's second house. Have you any plans for making these three?



Keep up the good work.



Dave Grantham

Waikanae

Hi Dave,

I've received your note, (obviously!). Thanks for that - very encouraging & i'm pleased that you liked it. I must have been having a day off on the day you visited? Sorry to have missed you - i do stay home sometimes and always seem to miss the most interesting visitors.

Yes, you're right - my mother was Jean Lewis. She was born in Waiuta in 1930 and left there about 1942. All of my grandparents lived up there at some stage. My father's mother was there on the day school started in 1906. I grew up in Reefton but with continual stories about Waiuta and - well you can see what happened!

My mum still lives in Reefton and her brother, Tom - i'lll bet he hasn't been called 'Tommy' for a long time - lives in Westport. He has lived in the same house there for 58 years now.

I'm not a member of the Friends of Waiuta, maybe i should be, but i'm in close touch with some of them, especially Les Wright who is their secretary and a local historian. Les probably knows Waiuta better than the people who lived there and has been very helpful/encouraging too.

You're right too about the missing houses - the Bottom Road extension is still to be done and also the Skip Road houses. We'll get there - one day. The big project at the moment is getting the English Village sorted out.

It was really great to hear from you and thanks again. I've got a blog (website) about the village - i'll put your letter on there if you'd like to have a look.

cheers, Alan

Cheers Hendrick

This is Hendrick, (i hope i spelt that right), he and his grandfather came to see us today. They are touring around New Zealand - down the east coast and now going back up the West Coast.

Hendrick was born in NZ and lives in Auckland, his granddad lives in the Netherlands and he doesn't have very good English, (though it's better than my Dutch!), so Hendrick was translating from English to Dutch and back - i was most impressed, he's a clever kid!

We Went to Waiuta

This is now going to smack people in the eye when they're leaving the real Waiuta townsite.

Hopefully, we might see some more ex-Waiuta people now.

Who's a Dork then?

There seems to have been a change in the demographics. (There's a cool word!)

The Kiwis have gone back to work and now we're getting more international visitors. The other day, in the rain, we had visitors from USA, UK and Weedon - well, i asked them where they were from and that's what i thought they said.

I was thinking, 'Don't know where that is - Warkworth? Wellesley? But - Weedon?'

I said that i didn't know that place.

The guy said, "It's a big place at the top of Europe - in Scandanavia."

Oh. SWEDEN - Who's a dork then?


cheers

Friday 18 January 2008

At about 3.20 in the afternoon, Somebody had a bright idea.

"Is today the day we put the Star Hotel out?"

So, we did - it took until 5 o'clock exactly. What a mission!

So the English Main Street is (slowly) happening.


We had to stand it on the trailer & screw it down so it wouldn't move.


Finally got it in place.


This is who made me do it!


It's a big building - probably the biggest of the lot of them.


Well, it's out there now.


cheers

The Reefton Workingmen's Club

Once again, these are Lex Blackadder and Val and Gerald Bray, when they came to visit a couple of weeks ago.

Val was the Assistant in the Bookshop on the main street and I used to work with Gerald in the railway station. (See http://web.mac.com/pjan12/Hometown_Reefton/1960pg5railway_1965-67.html) A year or two ago.



After they returned home, to Christchurch, Gerald sent me this poem/story about some of the characters in the Reefton Workingmen's Club in about 1980. (Some of the language etc here is a bit eccentric, but i love it! It is very "West Coast".)

The Reefton Workingmen’s Club

On the corner of Bridge and Shiel Streets, the Eastern part of town
There stands an elaborate building where everyone goes when they’re down
The building has many amenities and ‘tis built on modern lines
It has the best beer in the country and the best sparkling wines.
So if the geography disturbs you and you give your head a rub
The name of this stately building is the Reefton Workingmen’s Club.

Given a start by the local Miner’s Union the Club has never looked back
It pulls publicans into line for the barmen are never slack.
They work to quench the Reefton thirst of volume drinkers
You would wonder don’t burst.
The Club plays host to many a debate such as Muldoon and the mess of the State
No question too big nor yet too small, amicably they are settled by all.

John Payn is our genial Bar-Manager, a man of quiet repute,
He’s the fastest barman in Westland on that there’s no dispute.
He can handle two hundred on his own; This is truth – No flash in the pan
His swiftness of foot has dubbed him “Reefton’s Six Million Dollar Man”.

Gerald Bray is our President and full marks; He is first class
You’ll find him at the Railway station in uniform of braid and brass.

At Working Bees he’s one of the boys and gets into it with vigour
While his future outlook for the Club is to see it progressively bigger.

Ruth Cooper is our Secretary, none better found as good

Her efficiency’s renowned New Zealand wide, her presence is good.
If any bouquets are to be thrown guide them in Ruth’s direction
As the statement I’m about to make needs no further correction.

Ruth Cooper is to business as bacon is to eggs
Although she wears a serious look she can still pull your leg.
She makes the position of Secretary look like the work of a kid
To you, Dear Ruth, all members, “We doffs our lid”.

Johnny Brown comes from Ireland – somewhere near Navoureen
He believes if you put a cow cover over a horse there should be milk in the
mornin’.

Standing next to Johnny is a shearer, reputedly first grade
Topping six feet in his socks it can only be Bert Bade.
For Bert Bade is to shearing as wool is to a sheep
They say that he can shave a rat when it’s asleep.

Now to Tommy Chandler, from Aussie he did come
It could have been from Iron Bark as he has taught to some
For his rating as a pugilist extends as high as moon
There’s only one man got him bluffed – That bloke called Rob Muldoon.

For vegetables and flower plants in the Club we have a cracker
The man who supplies these needs bears the name of Taka

He’ll supply your plants from Iceland and orchids from Guyana
There’s only one plant dodging him – You’ve guessed it – Marijuana.

The Rosstown Robbies raised by Dinny and Stell
A wonderful family all will spell
George though smallest of them all has plenty of guts to make him 10 feet tall
He’ll face the charging bull as though it was a flea
But a nurse’s needle is another cup of tea.

Then to Danny Stewart our golden voice of song
Quiet in his manner and respected by the throng
A voice like Nelson Eddy doesn’t mean a thing
When John Cooper meets him in the bowling ring.
They attack one another with snide remark and sneer
But when the game’s with a drink they call ‘Good Cheer”.

So if you’re feeling down a bit meet a Hunt called ‘Joe”
He loves to see people happy be it friend or foe.
When he was a carpenter he was the fastest ever seen
Hammer so swift in either hand; just to see him was serene.
He built houses for many years for all who came along
He vows he can remember when 4 inch nail were 6 inches long
The first prize all are sure, must be won by the Hunt called Joe.

Indoor bowls was the game the night a strange person came to town
Three quick beers he swallowed when on his face there came a frown.
From the hall inside the building a woman’s voice rang clear
“Jack, get it up. No good ‘til it’s up” were the word that upset in fear.

He leapt for the door like a deer in flight
Collided with Bob Hide and was arse of kite.
Jim Wearne gave him the ‘Kiss of Life’ and from Jumbo a rum to drink
Thus revived and the words explained it was clearly then he did think.
“These words are part and parcel of Indoor Bowls the Man of the Cloth thought
“But I thought it was a house of ill-fame on a Reefton saying, I’m caught”.

The annual fishing trip each year goes to the Marlborough Sounds
Les Nicol suggested a ‘Hare Drive’ as there were miles of hares around
We never had any given proof nor was there a name for a winner
One must assume it’s a fishy business or was it ‘Hare’ for dinner?
Bill Maxwell explained the ‘Hare’ were an awful sight and had large scars
So evil-smelling and salty were they we refused to take them in cars.

One could go on forever mentioning Tony Shutt and ‘Mack the Knife’.
Jim Etheridge, Spaniard and Athol who almost took himself a wife.
But there’s one man I must not forget as this verse gets steeper
He is grey of hair like Santa Claus and his name is Bert Neiper.

As a sailor in the war years he was at the River Plate
He helped sink the Graf Spee on that historic date.
Today he is still sinking through the years it’s not a ship
You’ll find him at the ‘Mulken’ mine with Big Mike sinking a dip.

So Stranger as you read these words from your holidays you can boast
Of the pleasantries you encountered at Reefton on the Coast.
You don’t hear a Coaster moaning but he respects the ‘Man of the Cloth’
For moaning and critics of religion should be lost in the ocean’s froth.

For when morals are lacking all honour is dead; Pray, what is the worth of Parole?
A small bit of preaching may turn a man’s head but it sure won’t alter his soul.

Return to your concrete jungles to your city’s flashest pub
I bet you won’t find friendship like THE REEFTON WORKING MEN’S CLUB.


Unfortunately, Gerald didn't say who wrote it. Thanks Gerald, very cool!

cheers

It's a Small World

On 14 April 2007 i posted on the blog about how Lex Blackadder, ex Reefton plumber, and his friend Rob Brown, ex Reefton resident, had been to visit us.


Lat week, Lex came back again with his houseguests, Gerald and Val Bray. I used to work with Gerald, 40 years ago. (Good grief!). More on that, next time.


Today, Lex came back again with his other houseguests - Robb & Eleanor Brown, and their boys, Vaughan & Jacob, they all lived in Reefton 'for 3 years, 3 years ago'. They now live in Wellington and the boys go to Newlands School.

After looking around in the 'Reefton' village, they all went up the hill to 'Waiuta'.


Up there, they ran into Mrs. Piner - a teacher at their school!

Small world sometimes.

This is Mrs. Dot Piner with her hubby, Ted and the boy's mum in the red top.

Another Different Visitor

Sooty and his servants came to see us.

It was a very hot day, 39 degrees in the sunshine, so the black fur coat was all a bit much. They had to buy him an ice-cream - a 'Memphis Meltdown' - the most expensive sort of course.

Sooty didn't want to have a swim in the rainwater-barrel.



cheers

A Different Visitor

This is Nui. She came to visit the other day - she came with her friends - she had a swim in the rain-water barrel.

Not everyone does that.





Cheers

Remembrance.

Rosemary's rose is flowering in the village.

Pray that we don't have to plant another one. Get well, Mitty!