Waiuta Lodge

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West CoastMahinapua Cottage Waiuta Lodge Waiuta Lodge
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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