BOOMTOWN REVIVAL The metamorphosis of a mining community

摘要

There is no peak-hour traffic in Reefton. At 7.30 on a Monday morning, with the mist shrouding the surrounding hills, I'm strolling up the main drag of Broadway. It's blissfully quiet and empty. It's hard to believe more than a thousand people live here on the doorstep of the West Coast's spectacular wilderness region - nestled between the pristine, 250,000-hectare Victoria Conservation Park and Paparoa ranges, and with its very own microclimate. It's a beautiful part of the country and Reefton is a heritage-laden town (it has achieved Tohu Whenua landmark status) that's increasingly becoming a year-round tourist magnet.