Wander about the chilly workshop filled with lathes, drills and pulleys where inventor and engineer Ernest Hayes manufactured all manner of useful farm devices, including his famous fencing wire strainer. His wife Hannah cycled from farm to farm to sell his labour-saving inventions. They raised nine kids in the little house that's now a cosy cafe, and retired to the much more comfortable 'big house' (1920), fitted with mod cons from piped radio to electricity.
Hayes Engineering Works
Oturehua
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
16.17 MILES
The most photogenic of Ophir's many heritage buildings is this still-functioning 1886 post office, the oldest continually operated post office in NZ. Drop…
27.98 MILES
Gold was discovered in Bendigo in 1862; relics from the rush can be seen at this historic reserve, accessible off SH8, near the north of Lake Dunstan…
11.97 MILES
The Maniototo Museum, spread across two heritage buildings, evocatively chronicles the history of the region's 19th-century settlers, run-holders, gold…
Nearby Oturehua attractions
11.97 MILES
The Maniototo Museum, spread across two heritage buildings, evocatively chronicles the history of the region's 19th-century settlers, run-holders, gold…
16.17 MILES
The most photogenic of Ophir's many heritage buildings is this still-functioning 1886 post office, the oldest continually operated post office in NZ. Drop…
27.98 MILES
Gold was discovered in Bendigo in 1862; relics from the rush can be seen at this historic reserve, accessible off SH8, near the north of Lake Dunstan…