Swampy landing at Harihari
Australian aviator Guy Menzies surprised Harihari locals when he completed the first solo trans-Tasman flight in 1931 by landing – unintentionally – i...
Roadside Stories
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About
A series of audio guides from the major highways and roads around New Zealand. Explore the history and places of New Zealand in this tour of attractions along the roadside. These stories are also available as an iPhone app and on YouTube - see http://www.mch.govt.nz/roadside for more information.
Gold fever in Hokitika
After gold was discovered in 1864 a lively town sprang up at Hokitika. Within a few months it had 5,000 residents and 72 hotels. However, its port was...
Precious pounamu
Pounamu – greenstone or jade – was prized by Māori, and gave its name to the South Island (Te Wai Pounamu). Long associated with the Ngāi Tahu tribe, ...
The dangers of coal
West Coast coal has been mined since the 1860s, and coal was a vital source of energy in the 19th century. But coal mining is back-breaking work that ...
Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks
The famous Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki resemble a layered stack of pancakes, and caves beneath them open into blowholes which emit spectacular bursts o...
Conflict at Addisons Flat
Many settlers on the West Coast were Irish, and conflict sometimes erupted between Irish Catholics and Protestants. The worst confrontation was at the...
Murchison and Īnangahua quakes
Dramatic landslides, rock falls and waterfalls are the legacy of the two massive earthquakes that hit the Buller region in the 20th century. Lives wer...
Brunner on the Buller
In late 1846, with his Māori guides Kehu and Pikewate, surveyor Thomas Brunner set off on an epic journey down the Buller River and to the West Coast....
Matakohe kauri
Northland was once covered in magnificent kauri forests – but almost all were logged after Europeans arrived in New Zealand. Felling the giant trees w...
Dargaville – from kauri gum to kūmara
In the late 19th century Auckland's main export was kauri gum. One rich source of the gum was the swampy land around Dargaville where kauri forests ha...