Top NZ Town!

Thriving metropolis of Blackball...

So after a dizzying, excititing visit to Pankake rocks, the weather was pretty pants, so we decided to visit a town called Blackball, which is mentioned on the Lonely Planet Guide Book as a place to visit.

Mmmmmm......

Blackball is an almost deserted coal mining town on the South Island's West Coast.

The "Formerly The Blackball Hilton" is an old pub on Hilton street. It was forced to change its name by legal action from the Hilton Hotel chain, who felt its picturesque standards were too high. Not that anybody believed the character-filled Blackball Hilton had anything to do with the boring multi-national company.

Formerly The Blackball Hilton is a tourist mecca now. The pub plus a salami shop are the main activities in Blackball. The craft shop, also shown here, is totally unknown, despite its two not-to-be-confused doors.

Formerly the Blackball Hilton is important in New Zealand History for it was here the New Zealand Labour Party was born. By 1925, the Communist Party headquarters were moved from Wellington to here. Original red banners used by the miners are still stored inside, things like: "United we stand, divided we fall", "No scab workers".

Kathryn we thought of you as this is apparently where the NZ Labour party was formed!

Some said that when the mine closed the town would die. It has not quite died, but has been in death throes since 1964.

We did visit the Blackball Hilton for a quick drink, it was packed, lots of diners inside but no sign of any bar staff, eventually one turned up, dressed in shorts and the usual Kiwi dress of no shoes to serve behind the bar.

Apparently if you tell them that you are in the military they get very twitchy there. The Hippies think you are there to burn their weed crop.

Blackball, not quite Blackpool!