Shantytown

Shantytown Review

On the southern outskirts of Greymouth Shantytown is a lively reenactment of a gold-mining town of the 1880s. This is how the settlers who stayed on after that gold rush would have lived—but without the electricity, running water, and paved entry road. Except for the church and the town hall, most of the buildings are reproductions, including a jail, a blacksmith shop, a railway station, and Chinatown. The gold-digging displays include a giant water jet for blasting the gold-bearing rock and soil from the hillside, water races, and a stamper—battery-powered by a 30-foot waterwheel—for crushing the ore. You can pan for gold for a chance of striking "color," as this was the site of the world's last major gold rush. Catch a steam train ride or watch a holographic show.