Port Craig - the timber town that pushed boundaries. At first glance it is hard to believe that this site was once crowded with buildings and all the activity that surrounds a major timber milling operation. You can follow the Heritage Trail around this once prosperous township, which helps recreate a sense of Port Craig as it once was. Allow 1 hour to explore at a leisurely pace.
The Port Craig Story: in 1916 the Marlborough Timber Company recognised the milling potential of the coastal forests west of Mussel Beach (the future Port Craig). The costs of working in the isolated, rugged environment and the lower than expected value of timber the area produced contributed along with the approaching Great Depression to close Port Craig in 1928.
There are on-site interpretation panels and a brochure which tell important site stories including those related to relics still evident.
Access to such an important and remote historic site is a privileged opportunity which carries with it responsibilities, both for your own safety and to protect Port Craig's increasingly vulnerable relics.
- Stay on marked tracks; this will avoid unnecessary trampling, accidental damage and dangerously eroded areas.
- keep away from derelict structures; they are easily damaged and potentially dangerous. Department of Conservation is undertaking conservation work to protect some of these structures but your support is essential to ensure their future.
- Leave relics where they are; they tell part of the story. It is illegal to remove or even move them.
Information from Department of Conservation "Welcome to Port Craig" brochure.
These are the businesses and places of interest that Port Craig supports or are happy to affiliate themselves with (shown with blue markers):
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Waitutu Lodge (center the map) -
Wairaurahiri Jet (center the map) -
Port Craig Village - Hump Ridge Track (center the map) -
Okaka Lodge - Hump Ridge Track (center the map)
This business appears on the following trail(s):
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So Many Fish in the Sea - Fishing Opportunities
