This is a wee gem - I had no idea of this catastrophe and it is a well laid out and informative site, not far from Greymouth. Doesn't take long to meander through and gives a great indepth picture of the impact on families in the wake of this mining tragedy.
A very moving site to visit. In its day it must have been a hive of activity. Everything relying on manual labour made for such a high death toll. When you have finished here try to visit the Stillwater cemetery on the Brunner Rd and visit the final resting place of over 30 of the victims buried in a mass grave.
If you want to know about the history of coal mining on the West Coast then this site is great. It talks of the mining that went on as well as the disasters that have happened.
This is such a nice easy walk down the pathway to the Brunner Bridge. Its well land marked and only a few minutes out of town. The history about the place is well signed posted, on information boards and depicts what it would have looked like back in the day. Its nice to see the coke ovens being preserved by under cover and the monument is a special place as well. Tragically, an all too often event in Greymouth. The bridge is sturdy and I had no problems walking over it as I'm afraid of heights. The water was flowing freely underneath so makes for some great photos of the area. All in all, it was a nice visit, well informed and has given me greater appreciation of the hard work and toil men and women had to endure.
To see how the kilns were built and the whole area organised, it must have been such a hive of industry. We did our own thing here and thoroughly enjoyed it even though the temperature was well into the 20's.
Stumbled on this little historical gem, which includes old mine shafts, ruins of many of the original buildings and a lovely bridge spanning the grey river. The outdoor "information center" beautifully presented the tragic tale of NZ's worst industrial accident in history (which killed 65 men and boys on that tragic day in 1896). What's more, the place was entirely devoid of travelers (apparently not the most highly trafficked stop in NZ). Highly recommend.
A geat static display about the Brunner Mine and the story of the worst mining disaster of its time. Restored bridge and display area of Brunner Town and the Mine
Great bridge crossing the Grey River showing where the coal was trucked by rail to meet the mainline from Greymouth.
Easy walk for all ages. Good information posted around the area about what happened, and how it was all done.
We climbed down the easy path to carefully cross the 'live' railway tracks and traverse the bridge over the river. It's a comfortable wander around the track where there are plenty of informative displays and very good pictures of the area as it was 100 years ago. Well worth a visit and of course it's all free.