Inspiring stories, real news and the hard questions

The Hokitika Wild Foods Festival is one of the great Coast events that attracts people from far and wide.

We highlight the event this week as well as give you a reminder about all the other events taking place on the Coast over the next few months.

The family business, Birchfield Mining, gets the Coaster’s Weekly profile, we tip our hat to Westco Lumber and sing the praises of one cool little artists’ town, Hokitika.

The Coaster’s pass returns with an offer from Kiwi Holiday Park & Motels and we introduce you to two Coast Characters, highlight our top posts and chat to Rev Viv Harper from All Saints War Memorial Church. All this plus our updates from Aratuna Freighter and Williams Hotels Group.

So, have a listen to my take on all the good stuff that’s happening in this issue of Coaster’s Weekly here:

Coaster’s Weekly would like a bit of help doing our interviews. If you have some time on your hands, and feel you would like to be involved with Coasters Weekly, drop me an email at admin@thecoastersclub.co.nz and we can talk.

The Coaster’s Club is of course the vehicle by which we can all stay connected so I would encourage you to join up. I know we can’t always agree on all things, but we can agree that we all want the best for the Coast and the people whose lives and history are intrinsically tied to this wonderful place.

Here’s how you can be part of the Coaster’s Club:

• Follow us on Facebook: The Coaster’s Club
• Follow us on Twitter: The_Coasters_Club
• Subscribe to our You Tube channel and see dozens of videos that don’t get published anywhere else.
• Receive our newsletter, The Coaster’s Weekly like 33,500 others do and keep connected! Go to www.thecoastersclub.co.nz and enter your email address in the panel on the home page. It’s as easy as that.

Thanks again for your on-going support. If you have a story you think should be told in Coaster’s Weekly, or you know of a couple of characters we really ought to talk to, please let us know.

Bruce Smith

Coast Events

Time to get your wild on!

Hokitika Wild Foods Festival

The Hokitika Wild Foods Festival takes place in Hokitika on 13 March 2021.

The popularity of this amazing Coast event is such that if you are planning on coming from out of town, now is the time to book your accommodation. Leave it until closer to the actual event and you could find all accommodation is full.

We have a video story for you here, capturing all the magic and daring of this absolutely stunning and crazy event. Sit back and go wild!

Check out this tasty summary of last year’s event:

Fresh from this year’s event – Wild Foods festival 2020

Wild Foods Festival’s Boris the Boar, goes on tour to promote the Festival out of town:

Take a trip back to 2018’s event:

In this year’s VIP Tent, learning about the generosity of all sorts of people:

And it was quite something in 2016

As far back as 2013 the Festival was drawing people from the world over!

What’s happening on the Coast

Greymouth Motorcycle Street Race
Sunday October 25, 2020
Follow the link for all information and registrations.

AgFest 2020
Friday 13 and Saturday 14 November, 2020
Follow the link for all information and registrations.

Ride the Wilderness
Saturday 14 November 2020
Follow the link for all information and registrations.

Horse racing
Westport Trots
Saturday, 26 and Monday, 28 December, 2020
Reefton Trots
Wednesday, 30 December, 2020.
Kumara Races
Saturday, 9 January, 2021.
Follow the link for all information.

Buller Marathon, Half Marathon and Walk
Saturday 13 February 2021.
Follow the link for all information and registrations.

Hokitika Wild Foods Festival
Saturday, 13 March, 2021.
Follow the link for all information and tickets.

South Island Ute Muster
10 & 11 July, 2021
For information on the 2021 South Island Ute Muster email admin@thecoastersclub.co.nz

For inclusion on these pages please email details of your event and website link to: admin@thecoastersclub.co.nz

Mining: the life blood of the West Coast’s economy

Birchfield mining – the art of land restoration

When Evan and Jane Birchfield say they will do something, that’s all you need Coasters.

You can be sure that if they say they will clean up after every mining operation, then that’s exactly what they will do.

Their work negates the argument leveled against the mining industry, that it destroys the land that is mined and leaves the environment worse for wear.

But that is not the case, as we found out when we visited the site of a former Birchfield mining operation, at the back of Ross. Mining on the West Coast is crucial to our economy; and equally important is the beauty of our land and environment. The care and attention Birchfield mining gives to ensuring the aftermath of a mining operation leaves the land in pristine condition, is second to none. And they comply strictly with all the permissions and resources consents they have to work to. It is a stringent process the company has to follow.

Have a look at the Ross restoration project in these two videos:

Birchfield Mining Ross Ltd.

We take a tour of the depot at Ross and learn of the on-going, massive investment the Birchfield family has made in Ross:

Birchfield Ross Mining leads the country in Jig technology – capturing fine gold. We take you through the process in these two clips:

Brilliant restoration of land at Clear Creek that was mined in the early 1900s. It was left in a bit of a state before Birchfield Ross Mining sorted it in recent times.

Coast Business

Westco Lumber punches well above its weight with big win in NZ Diversity Awards

West Coast sawmill business, Westco Lumber Ltd in Ruatapu, wanted to reinvigorate a culture of learning amongst its workers, and continue to build the capability of the Westco family.

They recognised that an engaged and included workforce had been the key to its success over the years.

So this year they entered the NZ Diversity awards just to see how they measured up. Diversity NZ aims to help organisations do workplace inclusion well and do well because of it.

It turns out Westco Lumber measured up very well! They won their category and we think they were the only South Island winner. There were 85 entries over 10 categories, and Westco’s category had 32 of the entries, so their result was truly outstanding.

The Awards Ceremony was last Wednesday night and the live stream can be seen at: www.diversityworksnz.org.nz (Westco’s part of the presentation is 1 hour 39 minutes in).

Diversity Works website also has a case study/video about Westco.

Other winners included MBIE, IRD, State Services Commission and Ministry for Women, NZ Police, Jasmax. Like we said, Westco Lumber punched well above their weight and delivered the win!

Have a look here: www.diversityworksnz.org.nz

Coasters Pass

Hokitika Kiwi Park & Motels

A Special For Families

Coaster’s Weekly takes you on a tour of the amazing Kiwi Holiday Park in Hokitika with our tour guide, Amber:

Now that you have seen the splendid facilities, come and enjoy our amazing playground and all that Hokitika and the surrounding area has to offer.

Make a booking for one of our two-bedroom motel units (sleeps up to five) and we will give you a 15% discount on the total booking and a free Kiwi Card. Find out about Kiwi Card here: www.kiwiholidayparks.com

This offer is only available for bookings up until 31 October 2020 and you must book either via our webpage (look for Families Special in Two Bedroom Unit section), email or by contacting us on 0800 115 322. Don’t forget to say you read about our offer in Coasters Weekly!

We also have special rates with our Partners and friends at the West Coast Treetop Walk and Café, The National Kiwi Centre and Hokitika Scenic Tours, which are all wonderful family activities. Enquire about these when booking.

Don’t forget to pack the scooters or skate boards for the children or those young at heart to use on our skate board ramp, and the bikes for riding the West Coast Wilderness Trail.

Web address: www.hokitikakiwiholidaypark.co.nz
Email: office@hokikiwihp.co.nz
Phone: 0800 115 322

Aratuna Freighter’s Update

Aratuna Freighters – you are invited to join the team

Would you like a change in location? Why not join the movement to the Coast?

Aratuna Freighters may just have the job to help you make the move with confidence.

The freighting company is currently looking for Class Five drivers and mechanics and you just might fit the bill. Have a listen here as Bruce Smith gives us a little more information:

From the West Coast to the South Island and beyond

Aratuna Freighters was started from humble beginnings by the Havill family in 1985 with only one truck & trailer.

It has developed along some interesting paths and today runs a diverse mix of general and rural freight, fuel and Fastway couriers.

Today Monique and Andrew Havill manage this multi-million dollar, Greymouth-based business.

In 1989, the company received distribution rights for BP and a tanker truck and trailer unit was put on the road. Double shifting, the truck covered the work previously done by tankers out of Nelson. The petroleum distribution work has now grown to include three truck and trailers units and eight tanker drivers based in Greymouth. The fuel is marketed, delivered and sold by Aratuna Fuels.

In 1992, the Refrigeration side of the operation started with the acquisition of Polar Express (one truck and trailer) and Trans Alpine Refrigeration Ltd (one line haul unit). This side of the business was expanded further in 2001 with the purchase of Williams Transport.

Since July 2003, Aratuna Freighters has opened a second ‘rural’ yard based in Hokitika. Their team of skilled drivers run three stock units, six bulk units and a curtain side bulk truck. The Hokitika office is run by Rural Manager Bill Millar alongside rural assistant and sales rep, Ngawai Tahi.

Another major milestone in the growth of the company was the securing of the Mainfreight, Dailyfreight and Owens Franchise for the entire West Coast area. This service started with one truck and now has four units painted in Mainfreight colours, crossing the mountains every day to Christchurch and South Westland. Their yard manager, Jamie McGeady runs the day-to-day logistics team.

For a quote on freight, fuel or other services provided by Aratuna Freighters, you can call the company’s toll free number 0800 756 666. If you have a rural enquiry, please call the Hokitika team on 03 756 8012.

of words, pictures and the arts

Hokitika – artist haven

A cool little town full of amazing artists.

From beach sculpture, to sculptors in all mediums, Hokitika is home to the broadest range of artists and craftspeople.

Here you will find photographers, jewellers, fabric artists, glass blowers, writers, jade and bone carvers, painters and craftspeople of all elks. You can pick up an arts guide from the Information Centre to find addresses of galleries and studios to visit. The video clip here will give you a little taste of this vibrant artists’ town:

of words, pictures and the arts

Delivering the Thursday Poem with Mark Raffills

Your father and your namesake
for Justin Townes Earle

Justin Townes Earle was an alt country/rock singer, the son of Steve Earle and named after Earle’s friend, the late Townes van Zandt. Like his father and his namesake, Justin was blessed with the music and released some wonderful albums, among them the break-through Harlem River Blues. But like his father and his namesake, he was also hounded by the addiction of alcohol and drugs and a troubled state of mind. Justin Townes Earl died of a drug overdose last month, August 2020. Another singer lost to the song. Video by Dr Jeff Obadiah Simmonds.

Chat around the fire

History Alive

Rev Vivian Harper

This week we chat with the Rev Vivian Harper of All Saints War Memorial Church. She walks us through the beautiful church and recounts some intriguing items of history that are kept alive there.

Bruce Smith