Public artwork in Blackball, West Coast, New Zealand. Amelia Norman

Blackball

Posted by Lynn Clayton in Central South Island Travel Stories
Tuesday, 25 July 2006

The town of Blackball (pop 370) lies 20 minutes from the West Coast highway. As a child growing up in the South Island, one of my favourite treats were ‘blackball’ sweets or boiled lollies (black and white balls).

Blackball was a coal-mining town 100 years ago, with several drinking establishments and the toughest men on the coast. Around 30 of these young men died serving New Zealand in the war and the local primary school has 30 simple white crosses erected on the lawn inside the school gates next to a war memorial stone. One cannot help but be moved by the starkness of these bright white crosses against the saturated greens of the West Coast landscape.

Today, Blackball is a sleepy little town, but one well worth a visit. The local pub is a wonderful place to stay. The old style veranda’d hotel welcomes visitors. The red gingham tablecloths and open fire are most welcoming, especially in the winter months. The menu boasts whitebait in season and the famous local sausages from the Blackball Salami Company; the wine list is more than adequate and the chocolate desserts are impressive!

The rooms are Victorian in décor.  A must to visit, the bathrooms down the hall are unique; number 8 wire is the toilet roll holder and corrugated iron cases the toilet cylinder. The hotel is on Hilton Street but when they called the hotel the ‘Blackball Hilton’ several years ago, the giant American corporation had their lawyers write to Blackball threatening to sue, so now they are known as 'Formerly the Blackball Hilton'. Really…some folk are precious! Paris Hilton may have gone to rural America but she could do a lot worse than visit this beautiful corner of New Zealand. The letter from the law firm is proudly displayed in the bar, where early photographs tell many stories including one local soldier receiving his Victoria Cross.

ANZAC Day 2006 dawned to continuous torrential rain – the parade was due to commence at 11am. The rain eased and the Air Force cadets donned oilskins as they stood to attention outside the Working Men’s Club. War medals on grey-headed leathery-skinned old soldiers appeared; firemen, ambulance personnel and soldiers who had served their town and their country. Women, too, all with an array of medals, some in uniform some in civilian clothing.

St John ambulance cadets stood alongside the Girl Guides and a handful of locals. Soon the parade started and the 100 or so people gathered together walked up the main street and along the tree-lined avenue in a gentle West Coast drizzle, led by two people playing the bagpipes.

Not a joyous crowd nor a sad crowd, but a respectful crowd and a suitable atmosphere prevailed. On entering the school grounds the flag was raised to half-mast and the council representative welcomed us all. Red poppies were outshone by colourful umbrellas and the ambulance crews in their lime green wet weather jackets. The children or youth of the town laid flowers on each and every cross, including one to an unknown soldier.

A solitary figure, after initial fumbling, fired a three-gun salute to those who died for our freedom.

The service was over, our soldiers once again had been remembered in the small west coast town of Blackball. The locals adjourned for refreshments and we respectfully declined a cuppa.

Nearby are old mines, old houses, old sheds, old goats… rain or fine this town has character!

In summer there are rivers to kayak, bush walks to challenge you, birds to listen to, beer to drink and stories to amuse you. If you haven’t been to Blackball, you haven’t seen heartland New Zealand.

If you are there on April 25th any year stay around for the ANZAC service - you will be touched.

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