1 / 3The Bearded Mining Company, Reefton
📍 Reefton, West Coast
Best for a free-range half hour on a Reefton stopover. Volunteer miners in a replica 1860s hut on Broadway spin gold rush stories by the fire, pour billy tea and help kids pan for real gold flakes. Entry is by donation.
This is so cool to visit. The shack is an original it has everything in it from the mining days..watch your step as you go in. One of the old miners gives a talk on how everything was way back. Really interesting.
🏆 Family Action Verdict
A charming, low-cost stop on the drive through Reefton rather than a destination, and better than most museums for a child because everything can be touched and someone in a beard answers questions. Give it twenty minutes to an hour depending on how the panning goes, and leave a koha that reflects the effort these volunteers put in.
ℹ️ What to Know Before You Go
💬 What Families Are Saying
View all reviews →56 Google reviews
Sonja Mckechie
“This is so cool to visit. The shack is an original it has everything in it from the mining days..watch your step as you go in. One of the old miners gives a talk on how everything was way back. Really interesting.”
Benjamin Hennig
“Don’t miss out on chatting with these guys, they are a true mine of information and great fun to talk to for people of any age, kids and grownups alike.”
Richard van Mechelen
“Had a very nice talk to one of the guys there, got some nice information about the history of the town and gold panning.”
Chris M
“Was very nice to see so many history things available in Reeftown.”
Reviews from Google
Overview
The Bearded Miners are Reefton's living link to its gold rush: volunteers in period kit who hold court in a replica 1860s miners' hut on Broadway. The fire is always going, there is billy tea on the boil, and the hut is crammed with genuine tools and relics that kids are allowed to handle. The draw for children is panning for gold in the trough outside, with a few flakes guaranteed, and sometimes a blacksmithing demonstration. There is no ticket; visitors leave a koha.
