Brunner
12km east of Graymouth on Highway 7 is the Brunner coalfield, with four coal mines that were once of great importance - Dobson, Wallsend, Stillwater and Taylorville. The rich deposits of coal on both sides of the Gray River were discovered by Thomas Brunner while surveying the west coast in 1846-8; mining started in 1864. An accident in the Brunner mine in 1896 cost 67 lives.
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Must-see attractions nearby:
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Related Attractions
Brunner Industrial Site
An old suspension bridge over the Gray River leads to the Brunner Mine, now closed down and scheduled as New Zealand's first protected industrial monument, Brunner Industrial Site. Industrial heritage trails and displays explain the history of coal mining on the west coast.
Lake Brunner
32km southeast of Graymouth, in a setting of great scenic beauty, is Lake Brunner, the largest lake on the west coast, which is ideal for fishing and boating. It was formed in a basin scooped out by a glacier and dammed by terminal moraine.
The lake is known to the Maoris as Moana Kutuku (lake of the white heron). Herons are still occasionally to be seen on the shores of the lake.
The lake is known to the Maoris as Moana Kutuku (lake of the white heron). Herons are still occasionally to be seen on the shores of the lake.
