One of the Greymouth regions most popular attractions, Shantytown is a full scale re-creation of a 19th century pioneer gold mining town. The township comprises two main streets lined with 30 historic buildings, including a church, and the two-storey coronation hall. Adjacent to the main township, a "Chinatown" area depicts the life and living environment of Chinese immigrant gold miners who had migrated to the West Coast in the 1860s from other gold fields in New Zealand as they ran dry, as well as directly from China. It provides a real feel for what it was like to live & work in New Zealand at that time. The experience includes a re-created narrow gauge bush tram line, with the carriages pulled by an 1896 F-class Kaitangata steam engine.
Tours in the region (click on a photo to get a tour details):