OLD TIMES AND GOOD TIMES
29 JANUARY 2024
St Patricks Church
Heritage Walk
Burkes Pass is a mountain pass 15 minutes from the beautiful Tekapo (an absolute paradise!), with a small village in it and when I say it's small - I really mean it! There is an old church, Three Creeks (a retro 'town') and a heritage walk showcasing historic sites from when Burkes Pass a pioneer township.
The heritage walk starts at the Musterers' Hut and takes you past each site, with information boards along the way. There are a school house, cemetery, hotel, Mt Cook Road board office and many cottages. There's also a game for kids called Where's Sally? and the kids have to look for Sally the working collie dog along the trail. You can pick up the free print out at the Musterers' Hut so they can do this mission, which has been created by the Burkes Pass Heritage Trust, who are helping to keep the history of Burkes Pass alive. We haven't done the walk yet but next time we're passing through, we're going to check it out. It's amazing how much we have learnt about New Zealand by being on the road and exploring this beautiful country (and not just reading about it in books), so we always like to learn as much as we can when we're in a new area. This is the ultimate way to teach Arabella and Sienna - they are learning real life stuff, in real life!
Interestingly enough, Burkes Pass was meant to be the hub of the Mackenzie Country but with the plans for a train to pass through and other circumstances, it stayed a small town and never grew.
To find out more about the things along the heritage trail, click here.
The heritage walk starts at the Musterers' Hut and takes you past each site, with information boards along the way. There are a school house, cemetery, hotel, Mt Cook Road board office and many cottages. There's also a game for kids called Where's Sally? and the kids have to look for Sally the working collie dog along the trail. You can pick up the free print out at the Musterers' Hut so they can do this mission, which has been created by the Burkes Pass Heritage Trust, who are helping to keep the history of Burkes Pass alive. We haven't done the walk yet but next time we're passing through, we're going to check it out. It's amazing how much we have learnt about New Zealand by being on the road and exploring this beautiful country (and not just reading about it in books), so we always like to learn as much as we can when we're in a new area. This is the ultimate way to teach Arabella and Sienna - they are learning real life stuff, in real life!
Interestingly enough, Burkes Pass was meant to be the hub of the Mackenzie Country but with the plans for a train to pass through and other circumstances, it stayed a small town and never grew.
To find out more about the things along the heritage trail, click here.
Image from The Burkes Pass Heritage Trust
Three Creeks
Three Creeks is a little retro town, within the town. It attracts heaps of visitors each year who are passing from through from Christchurch and Tekapo, and it has even been named as a 'must see' by Loney Planet (it's a funky little place and it's worth stopping at if you're passing through but I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to see it).
We have driven through Burkes Pass so many times and this summer (January 2024) we finally decided to stop in and see what all the fuss was about. The 'town' is made up of a general store, service station, blacksmith shop and a trading store. We walked around each store, looking at all the cool stuff which was made up of retro collectibles, gifts, classic cars, tin signs and heaps of furniture made from macrocarpa - there was SO much of it! It was on every shelf, table and wall space and it looked like pretty much everything was for sale! The shops aren't manned, just the general store, and it's like walking into different rooms of a house or an op shop, because each one is so small and packed full of items.
We loved the look of the little 'town' as it was a very 1950s and felt very American - we have nothing else like it in New Zealand so it was fun to look at all the retro things like milkshake makers, petrol pumps, radios and funky fans. Arabella was especially interested in all the old stuff as it's nothing that her 10-year-old eyes have seen before!
Outside, there is a dunny (toilet) which has a 'man' inside and when you open the door, it pulls a cord and the newspaper that the man is holding, goes up to cover his face so you can't see it.... which is a good thing as it's got a very ugly mask on! We had a lot of laughs opening and closing the door.
We had a look around the gift shops which has some really cool things that we would have loved to have bought.... but thus is life travelling full time in a van, we can't buy even 1/4 of the stuff we want!
We have driven through Burkes Pass so many times and this summer (January 2024) we finally decided to stop in and see what all the fuss was about. The 'town' is made up of a general store, service station, blacksmith shop and a trading store. We walked around each store, looking at all the cool stuff which was made up of retro collectibles, gifts, classic cars, tin signs and heaps of furniture made from macrocarpa - there was SO much of it! It was on every shelf, table and wall space and it looked like pretty much everything was for sale! The shops aren't manned, just the general store, and it's like walking into different rooms of a house or an op shop, because each one is so small and packed full of items.
We loved the look of the little 'town' as it was a very 1950s and felt very American - we have nothing else like it in New Zealand so it was fun to look at all the retro things like milkshake makers, petrol pumps, radios and funky fans. Arabella was especially interested in all the old stuff as it's nothing that her 10-year-old eyes have seen before!
Outside, there is a dunny (toilet) which has a 'man' inside and when you open the door, it pulls a cord and the newspaper that the man is holding, goes up to cover his face so you can't see it.... which is a good thing as it's got a very ugly mask on! We had a lot of laughs opening and closing the door.
We had a look around the gift shops which has some really cool things that we would have loved to have bought.... but thus is life travelling full time in a van, we can't buy even 1/4 of the stuff we want!
St Patricks Church
Just up the road from Three Creeks is St Patricks Church, which is a quaint little church and is thought to be NZ's oldest union church (it opened in 1872). I am partial to a bit of good-looking architecture, so I wanted to stop here to take a photo of the cute building. It seemed to be open when we were there, so if that's your thing, you can walk on inside and take a look around.
Know Before You Go
- For more info about Three Creeks, click here
- Burkes Pass Village is on the main highway, so you don't need to take a detour if you're passing through from Tekapo or Christchurch
- The heritage walk is a great way to learn about the history of Burkes Pass and the hunt for Sally the dog will keep the kids entertained
- There are toilets in the village
- In summer there is an ice cream truck at Three Creeks
How To Get To Burkes Pass In Canterbury
Burkes Pass is between Tekapo and Fairlie in Canterbury, New Zealand, on the Tekapo-Fairlie Road (go figure!). The town is on the main highway and it's well sign posted, so you'll know exactly where you are when you get there! Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Conclusion
Burkes Pass is like a mixture of old times and good times... on one hand you have a huge history here in the Mackenzie Country, which you can learn about on the heritage walk (and find Sally the dog!) and then it's all rock n' roll and Coca Cola over at Three Creeks! It's a fun and informative place to stop if you're passing through from Christchurch or Tekapo.
Gallery of Burkes Pass
Check out the rest of the awesomeness that didn't make it to the main blog but deserves to be shown.
More to do in New Zealand
HOOKER VALLEY TRACK
CANTERBURY One of the most popular & scenic hikes in NZ. This 3 hour track has incredible views of Mt Cook as well as icebergs in the lake!
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NUGGET POINT
OTAGO Set out at Nugget Point, in the wild and untamed Catlins, is one of New Zealand's most photographed spots - the Tokata Lighthouse.
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COAL CREEK TRACK
WEST COAST Enjoy a 1-hour return walk through the West Coast rainforest and be wowed by the stunning Coal Creek waterfall.
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