I was anticipating Shantytown to either be one of the coolest outings every or something so cheesy t

During our time in Greymouth we visited Shantytown , a heritage replica town that aims to recreate what life in New Zealand was like 150 years ago. A replica town with a post office, bank, hospital and schoolhouse as well as a functioning steam train, rent a car malaysia gold panning, gold sluicing demonstrations, a mock saw mill and Chinese settlement (which as a lot fancier than the settlement we saw in Arrowtown). Noah has been learning about New Zealand's gold mining past at school, while Hayley's class has been doing a project on what life was like 150 years ago so it seemed like the perfect educational experience to fit into our road trip.
I was anticipating Shantytown to either be one of the coolest outings every or something so cheesy that even a 5 year old would roll their eyes at the experience. Thankfully it was closer to the first option, with no hokey animatronic shows! Just lots of historical displays, information and hands on displays. An older sophisticated teenager would probably have been underwhelmed if history wasn't their 'thing' but we really enjoyed it.
We spent 3.5 hours there exploring and playing. We rode the train, visited the Chinese village and it's store, and climbed on every stage coach and steam tractor we could find. One of the best things about Shantytown was that there was very little on display that couldn't be touched or climbed on. Most of the buildings could be entered and explored, from mines and Chinese stores to the hospital and school house.
We explored a replica mine and all decided it would have been very cramped, wet and dark! Noah really enjoyed the mineral and rock museum. Hayley liked the jail house. Both of them got great joy out of locking up Mum!
The hospital was the highlight for me. Rewa Hospital is a copy of a typical period rent a car malaysia hospital in the area and is filled with equipment donated by hospitals around New Zealand. There was an early X-ray machine, an examination table, an operating table, surgical instruments and catheters, crutches, artificial limbs, bed pans, an iron lung and a dentist's surgery. Some of it was really eye opening, especially the metal cylindrical catheters not much thinner than a pencil ... I honestly can't imagine having that inserted into my arm. The modern rent a car malaysia tiny needle ones are uncomfortable enough.
We got the hang of it after a few minutes and came away with a small vial with around ten flakes of gold in it. The kids were completely convinced that now we could buy anything we wanted at Shantytown rent a car malaysia thanks to our new found riches. It was a little expensive so we only did it once, but it was well worth it. Next time we find a creek with someone rent a car malaysia renting pans out for cheap we'll know what to do.
And of course a lot of time was spent at the park. The giant flying fox was one of the fastest rent a car malaysia I've ever seen. The kids almost flew off the end each time. They both managed to stay on, although Noah lost his shoes each time. And who can resist a round-a-bout!
Shantytown is 10km south of Greymouth and is open from 8.30am-5pm. The steam train only runs a couple of times each day so it's well worth checking the website for the latest times and timing your visit to fit in with one of the scheduled rides. We spent 3.5 hours there and saw most things. There were a few buildings and demonstrations that we missed, as well as a couple of short bushwalks but by then the kids had had enough.
A family pass for two adults and up to four children is $74, or $69 if you purchase it online rent a car malaysia through their website. We were lucky enough that the website GrabOne.co.nz (similar to Groupon) was selling family passes for $29. It's well worth keeping an eye on GrabOne for three months before your visit in case the sale is on again. At $29 Shantytown is a fantastic, fun educational outing with kids. At $74 it's probably only worth it if your children rent a car malaysia are interested in history, trains and gold mining.
This week I'm taking part in Delicous Baby's Photo Friday and Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday roundups. They're a great way to find new travel blogs and get inspired! I keep discovering new places I want to visit through them.
Tracy always talked about traveling a lot more than she ever traveled. Married to an avid traveler rent a car malaysia that thankfully changed. After almost rent a car malaysia two years exploring South East Asia and Australia, enjoying the most amazing food, temples, beaches, and more importantly every sweet food treat she can find, Tracy is keen to explore further afield.
Having grown up in Greymouth, I loved going to Shantytown as a kid. Lots of memories of going in the scary jail, playing the piano and doing the can-can in the saloon, the steam train, and the walk up to the gold panning.
Doing the can-can rent a car malaysia hey. I bet your mother got lots of photos of that and delights at bringing them out at Christmas to show everyone. We missed the piano and the can-can. My daughter rent a car malaysia will be so disappointed.