On a recent staff trip we spent the night in Blackball on the West Coast. We experienced first hand the rich history and rugged personality of this small West Coast town ideally situated at the start of the Paparoa Track. Here are 4 reasons why you need to spend the night in Blackball before riding the Paparoa Track.
1. Its about the West Coast personality
The Paparoa Track is somewhat raw and tough, weaving its way through the landscape. Its about the forces of nature and how to live with them, rather than against them. The landscape is rugged and real, spectacular but reluctant to show itself, and reveals itself to those who make the effort to experience it first hand. The towns of the West Coast mirror the landscape and together create a rugged personality that is unpretentious, forthright and honest.
2. Its about the community
Blackball is a small tight community of some 300 individuals, all with a story to tell and often with a colourful past. Nestled away from the busy passing traffic, this community has struggled over the years with a boom and bust industry of tough mining set amidst a challenging climate. This is a small tight community looking after itself with a healthy disregard for authority and officialdom and proud of its working class heritage that is unrivalled on the coast.