New Zealand's West Coast is a popular tourist destination offering a
fantastic slice of the Kiwi experience to campers, hikers, beachgoers,
explorers, families and any holidaymaker looking for something new.
Hokitika, one of the region's small towns to the west of Arthur's Pass,
has everything you could want with the beach looking out over the
Tasman, rivers that are perfect for fishing, native bush, forest and a
quaint, friendly township. Many travellers book a stay at Hokitika
accommodation for a week or two while they journey around the West
Coast.
It's not just a tourist destination - the West Coast has played an
important role in New Zealand's history through mining and the gold rush
that boomed in the 19th century.
The Beginning of New Zealand Mining
Before European colonisation of the country, the native Maori mined rock
like argillite from quarries. The country is ranked as the 22nd largest
iron ore producer in the world and 29th in terms of gold. Silver, coal,
gold, iron ore and limestone are plentiful and, at last estimate in
2006, the value of current mineral production in New Zealand was $1.5
billion.
While mining has been a big part of the country's history, a huge amount
of unexploited resources remain. Estimates in 2008 place the value of
core minerals that are still unexplored to be as worth as much as $140
billion. Investigations on how to best explore these opportunities are
always being made with the government and population trying to balance
the potential return with conservation and environmental efforts.
The West Coast
The West Coast is mined today for its coal, greenstone and, during the
1860s, its gold. New Zealand's coal reserves stand in excess of 15
billion tonnes. In 2010 alone 5.3 million tonnes of coal were mined with
the West Coast a major contributor. From the 1880s onward, coal became
the main focus of the region's mining efforts, especially north around
Westport.
While mining is not nearly as widespread as it was in the late 19th and
early 20th century, several operations still remain in the region while
tourist attraction Shantytown Heritage Park pays homage to the history
of gold mining by providing visitors with an informative and realistic
view into the way of life during the gold rush. Mining does still
continue to be economically significant due to an international demand
for coal and growth aided by advances in mining and exploration
technologies
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