Orepuki
Encyclopedia
Orepuki in Southland, New Zealand
is a small country township on the coast of Te Waewae Bay some 20 minutes from Riverton
, 15 minutes from Tuatapere
and 50 minutes from Invercargill
that sits at the foot of the Longwood Range
. Once a thriving gold mining settlement of 3000 people, today Orepuki is something of a ghost town with an assortment of abandoned stores, goldmining relics and sluicing scars as the only reminders of its former glory.
noted in 1827 that there was an "old and small" Māori village situated near present day Orepuki http://www.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm995087/99p0285b/0. It seems likely that any trace of this village was washed away by later goldminers and their sluicing activities. The English translation of 'Orepuki' has been subject to numerous theories: Aro-puke or 'crumbling cliffs' being one of the more popular suggestions.
The European origins of Orepuki township begin with the discovery of gold
in the beaches black sand in 1865. The first tent town of Hirstfield sprung up near Monkey Island (in the lee of which ships anchored). Several years later a slightly more permanent second township was constructed to the north of the present day village, known as Garfield. Mining operations however, dictated that this site was on gold bearing land and the people and their houses, including the school, shifted to the present site to allow further mining.
On 25 May 1885 a branch line
railway was opened to Orepuki, providing it with swift transport to Invercargill. On 1 October 1903, a further extension beyond Orepuki was opened and the line ultimately became the Tuatapere Branch
. The section of line between Riverton and Tuatapere closed on 30 July 1976. Orepuki station building still stands, relocated to serve other purposes on a farmer's paddock.
Other industries to have operated in Orepuki include: sawmilling, coal mining, a shale works http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MineralResources/OilAndGas/4/ENZ-Resources/Standard/2/en, a smelter to extract platinum, a flax mill and farming which remains as the main industry today.
An array of old buildings still exist and currently the township supports a pub, a bowling green, a community hall, a church http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/province/southland/diaries/orepuki_c1860.html and a population of around 100 people. Orepuki primary school closed in 2003.
The area is famous for a number of former All Blacks, world champion shearers, and its odd trees which appear to be in a perpetual gale, even in complete calm (frequent strong salt winds from the sea have warped and bent many trees by nearly 90°).
Surrounding areas include Pahia
, Round Hill, Wakapatu, Ruahine, Colac Bay
, Waihoaka, Te Waewae and Te Tua.
http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/province/southland/diaries/orepuki_c1860.html
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
is a small country township on the coast of Te Waewae Bay some 20 minutes from Riverton
Riverton, New Zealand
Riverton or Aparima is a small town at the south of the South Island of New Zealand. It is in the Southland region and lies at the western end of Oreti Beach, 30 kilometres west of Invercargill on the Southern Scenic Route. It is approx. 45 km from Stewart Island and provides a safe harbour...
, 15 minutes from Tuatapere
Tuatapere
Tuatapere is a small rural town in Southland, New Zealand . It is located eight kilometres from the southern coast. The Waiau River flows through the town before reaching Te Waewae Bay, where it has its outflow into Foveaux Strait...
and 50 minutes from Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
that sits at the foot of the Longwood Range
Longwood Range
The Longwood Range is a range of hills to the west of the Southland Plains, Southland, New Zealand. There are many small towns and localities situated around the periphery of these hills: clockwise from the south-east, these include Riverton, Pourakino Valley, Colac Bay, Pahia, Orepuki, Tuatapere,...
. Once a thriving gold mining settlement of 3000 people, today Orepuki is something of a ghost town with an assortment of abandoned stores, goldmining relics and sluicing scars as the only reminders of its former glory.
History
In pre-European times, local Māori used the unique and highly prized garnet gemstones on the beach to polish and sharpen their 'toki' or adzes/axes. European sealer John BoultbeeJohn Boultbee
John Boultbee was born at Bunny, Nottinghamshire, England. He was the ninth and youngest son of Sarah Elizabeth Lane and her husband, Joseph Boultbee, minor Nottinghamshire gentry. A wanderer from boyhood, he was always impatient for new horizons.By 1816 John Boultbee was bound for Brazil...
noted in 1827 that there was an "old and small" Māori village situated near present day Orepuki http://www.jstor.org/view/00251496/dm995087/99p0285b/0. It seems likely that any trace of this village was washed away by later goldminers and their sluicing activities. The English translation of 'Orepuki' has been subject to numerous theories: Aro-puke or 'crumbling cliffs' being one of the more popular suggestions.
The European origins of Orepuki township begin with the discovery of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in the beaches black sand in 1865. The first tent town of Hirstfield sprung up near Monkey Island (in the lee of which ships anchored). Several years later a slightly more permanent second township was constructed to the north of the present day village, known as Garfield. Mining operations however, dictated that this site was on gold bearing land and the people and their houses, including the school, shifted to the present site to allow further mining.
On 25 May 1885 a branch line
Branch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway was opened to Orepuki, providing it with swift transport to Invercargill. On 1 October 1903, a further extension beyond Orepuki was opened and the line ultimately became the Tuatapere Branch
Tuatapere Branch
The Tuatapere Branch, including the Orawia Branch, was a branch line railway in Southland, New Zealand. Although the Tuatapere and Orawia Branches look like a single line, operationally they were considered separate lines. The first section opened to Riverton in 1879 and reached Tuatapere three...
. The section of line between Riverton and Tuatapere closed on 30 July 1976. Orepuki station building still stands, relocated to serve other purposes on a farmer's paddock.
Other industries to have operated in Orepuki include: sawmilling, coal mining, a shale works http://www.teara.govt.nz/EarthSeaAndSky/MineralResources/OilAndGas/4/ENZ-Resources/Standard/2/en, a smelter to extract platinum, a flax mill and farming which remains as the main industry today.
An array of old buildings still exist and currently the township supports a pub, a bowling green, a community hall, a church http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/province/southland/diaries/orepuki_c1860.html and a population of around 100 people. Orepuki primary school closed in 2003.
The area is famous for a number of former All Blacks, world champion shearers, and its odd trees which appear to be in a perpetual gale, even in complete calm (frequent strong salt winds from the sea have warped and bent many trees by nearly 90°).
Surrounding areas include Pahia
Pahia
Pahia is a small rural locality in coastal Southland, New Zealand, not to be confused with the North Island tourist resort of Paihia. Surrounding areas include Ruahine, Wakapatu, Round Hill, Colac Bay and Orepuki. The main road, Orepuki-Riverton Hwy , runs through it...
, Round Hill, Wakapatu, Ruahine, Colac Bay
Colac Bay
Colac Bay is a small township on the Southern Scenic Route, 10 minutes from Riverton. Surrounding areas include Longwood, Tihaka, Waipango, Round Hill, Wakapatu, Ruahine, Pahia and Orepuki....
, Waihoaka, Te Waewae and Te Tua.
Nearby attractions
- Monkey Island; http://kiwiwendy.tripod.com/id15.html a small island and mini lagoon off the southern end of the beach. Accessible during low tide, with a small walking track. Local Māori used the island as a traditional lookout for whales and named it 'Te Puka o Takitimu', or the 'Anchorstone of TakitimuTakitimuIn several Māori traditions, the Tākitimu was one of the great Māori migration canoes that brought Polynesian migrants to New Zealand from Hawaiki. It was one of the seven canoes in the "Great Fleet hypothesis" proposed by historian Stephenson Percy Smith .-Māori Traditions:The Tākitimu appears in...
' waka/canoe.
- Gemstone Beach; http://rebeccathewrecker.blogspot.com/2007/03/pebbles-are-calling.html situated ½ km north of Orepuki, this wild beach contains semi-precious gemstone such as: garnet, orbicular jasper, garnet sands, rodinguite quartz, semi nephrite, fossil worm casts, oil shale and elusive sapphire.
External links
- Riverton to Orepuki Goldfields
http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/province/southland/diaries/orepuki_c1860.html
- Orepuki on the Western Southland Website
- A to Z guide. http://www.atoz-nz.com/intro.asp?Loc=13