Greymouth Regional Information

The town of Greymouth is situated, as its name suggests, at the mouth of the Grey River. Once the site of a Maori pa, or fortified village, the town is the largest within the West Coast region. The town also has a rich European heritage, which can be viewed at the History House Museum where displays tell the tales of gold prospecting in the area through photographs and personal accounts.

Despite its status as the West Coast's largest centre, Greymouth remains a quiet, provincial town. Visitors can sample a West Coast brewed beer at the Monteith's Brewing Company, where a tour illustrates the process of brewing this famous New Zealand beverage.

The town is also a centre for the creation of sculpture and jewellery, which is made from greenstone and displayed at galleries such as the Left Bank Art Gallery and the Jade Boulder Gallery. During pre-European times, Maori treasured the stone for its use in tool and weapon making. Their sophisticated greenstone industry was centred around the Greymouth region.

Eight kilometres south of Greymouth is Shantytown, another indication of the West Coast's rich natural resources. Shantytown re-creates an 1860's gold mining township, complete with office, jail, pub and lolly store. There, visitors can pan for gold and ride a 19th century locomotive.

Navigate with our great Greymouth map to stay on the right track and find what you're looking for when traveling in the region. While you're on the road, be prepared for all seasons with weather forecasts, reports and current information on Greymouth weather.

For further information on Greymouth, visit the West Coast information site.