Blackball and the Pike River Memorial |

For a great half-day trip, head to the iconic West Coast town of Blackball, a small town approximately 29 km from Greymouth. Then carry on another 15km to the Pike River memorial

Blackball was named after the Blackball Shipping Company, which began producing coal near the current site of Blackball. The township was laid out, and sections were auctioned off in 1893. The mine changed hands and finally closed in 1963. This small town was the birthplace of the New Zealand Labour Party. In 1908, miners went on strike for three months to win a 30-minute lunch break. They succeeded!

There is a small museum and memorials to the miners’ strike and the Pike River mining disaster.

It is a great place to wander and step back in time.

“Formerly the Blackball Hilton,” this historic ‘old school’ pub features a restaurant, bar, accommodation and camper van sites. Built in 1810, it boasts a long and fascinating history.

The names of the men that lost their lives in the Pike River mine disaster.

The bathhouse boiler

The bathhouse was arranged through a union delegation. Before that, miners had to bathe in a tub at home.

There are plenty of good interpretation boards to read.

The bathhouse

The Blackball mine chimney being restored

Blackball miners strike memorial

Blackball miners strike memorial and the Blackball museum. There is also a memorial to the Pike River mine disaster in the memorial park.

How to get there: From greymouth – approx 24 mins via Taylorville-Blackhead road and Taylorville Road.

PYKE RIVER MEMORIAL

15 minutes from Blackball is the Pike River memorial. Set in a beautiful part of this stunning area, close to the Pike River Mine. On the afternoon of 19 November 2010, an explosion ripped through the remote Pike River mine on the West Coast of the South Island, killing 29 men. Their bodies have not been recovered and remain in the mine. Take some time to wander through this memorial; it is a peaceful, quiet place where you can sense the loss of each and every family who lost loved ones in the disaster.