Formerly the Blackball Hilton

The West Coast


Blackball's major talking point is this century-old pub, once known as the Dominion. When it was renamed in the 1990s, a certain global hotel chain got antsy – hence the addition of 'formerly' to its name. These days it's something of a shrine to the Labour movement, proudly bedecked in old trade-union banners, posters and portraits of significant politicians. Call in for a beer or pub meal and take some time to peruse the walls.

Upstairs, the off-fashioned pub-style rooms (all sharing bathrooms) are simple but well maintained.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The West Coast attractions

2. Left Bank Art Gallery

11.85 MILES

A wide community of West Coast artists is represented in this former bank, which displays contemporary NZ prints, paintings, photographs, jewellery and…

3. History House Museum

12.1 MILES

When we passed through, this pictorial museum of Greymouth's gold rush days was closed indefinitely, to allow the handsome 1924 building to undergo…

4. Monteith’s Brewing Co

12.24 MILES

The original Monteith's brewhouse is the HQ for this nationally famous beer brand: glossy and a wee bit corporate, but it delivers a high-quality…

5. Shantytown

16.69 MILES

Good fun for kids and young-at-heart travellers, Shantytown is a recreated 1860s gold-mining town, 10km south of Greymouth. Peer inside a church, a tavern…

6. Pancake Rocks

17.71 MILES

Punakaiki's claim to fame is Dolomite Point, where a layering-weathering process called stylobedding has carved the limestone into what looks like piles…

7. Waiuta

21.43 MILES

Remote Waiuta is one of the West Coast's most famous ghost towns. Spread over a plateau, this once-burgeoning gold town was swiftly abandoned after the…

8. Reefton Distilling Co.

28.68 MILES

Every gold-rush town needs a still, and Reefton's got a goodie in the form of this operation that makes use of foraged botanicals and spring water sourced…