DO YOU BELIEVE IN FAIRIES?
10 DECEMBER 2023
Muddy Ruts And Fairy Huts
Greymouth is a lovely little town on the West Coast region in New Zealand where we loved having fires on the beach (mmm, toasted marshmallows!), watching epic sunsets and going on walks through the lush rainforest.
One of the ways I like to research what to do in a new area, is by having a look on Google Maps. I find this is a great way to spot things to do that aren't always blogged about and this is exactly how I came across the Grandjeans Fairy Forest in Greymouth. We weren't sure what to expect with this fairy forest as there was barely any information or pictures, so we didn't know if it would be any good or not. I did find the Facebook page for the fairy forest just now and they have posted updates of so many new houses and doors we didn't see when we went, so it must be a popular track with the locals.
We weren't quite sure where to go once we followed the map to the forest and parked up, as it wasn't signposted and we ended up parking on a dirt track beside Perotti Park. We walked across the park, which had knee high grass in some places and deep muddy ruts in other places... so yeah, we were wondering where the heck we were and we almost gave up but we followed our noses and eventually came to the trailhead for the fairy forest - phew!
Once we were in the forest, the girls started running from tree to tree, so excited to spot the newest creation. We loved how unique each creation was and the sheer quantity of them....some were easy to spot and some were difficult to spot, which made it an exciting treasure hunt for the girls. They were mostly on ground level and some were hidden in the tree trunks or on the side of the trees. We spent around half an hour in the forest and we lost count of how many cool things we saw! There was a mixture of unique fairy houses, painted rocks, figurine and fairy doors and it's amazing how much effort people have put into making them.
Arabella and Sienna absolutely LOVE fairy forests and we have quite a few in New Zealand which is really exciting! Lath and I really enjoy them too as there are some seriously creative and cute ones to look at and it's awesome seeing the girl's faces light up at each new one they see. Our favorites, including this one, are the Bottle Lake Fairy Village in Christchurch and the Hobsonville Fairy Houses in Auckland. We are always on the lookout for more fairy villages so if you know of any good ones in New Zealand, let us know!
If you've read a few of our blogs, you might already know that my external HDD crashed, so I lost 6 months of photos and videos (including the raw files from my DSLR camera) eeeek! I wish I could share more photos of the forest with you but these are the only one I have, that I sent to various people and managed to recover.
One of the ways I like to research what to do in a new area, is by having a look on Google Maps. I find this is a great way to spot things to do that aren't always blogged about and this is exactly how I came across the Grandjeans Fairy Forest in Greymouth. We weren't sure what to expect with this fairy forest as there was barely any information or pictures, so we didn't know if it would be any good or not. I did find the Facebook page for the fairy forest just now and they have posted updates of so many new houses and doors we didn't see when we went, so it must be a popular track with the locals.
We weren't quite sure where to go once we followed the map to the forest and parked up, as it wasn't signposted and we ended up parking on a dirt track beside Perotti Park. We walked across the park, which had knee high grass in some places and deep muddy ruts in other places... so yeah, we were wondering where the heck we were and we almost gave up but we followed our noses and eventually came to the trailhead for the fairy forest - phew!
Once we were in the forest, the girls started running from tree to tree, so excited to spot the newest creation. We loved how unique each creation was and the sheer quantity of them....some were easy to spot and some were difficult to spot, which made it an exciting treasure hunt for the girls. They were mostly on ground level and some were hidden in the tree trunks or on the side of the trees. We spent around half an hour in the forest and we lost count of how many cool things we saw! There was a mixture of unique fairy houses, painted rocks, figurine and fairy doors and it's amazing how much effort people have put into making them.
Arabella and Sienna absolutely LOVE fairy forests and we have quite a few in New Zealand which is really exciting! Lath and I really enjoy them too as there are some seriously creative and cute ones to look at and it's awesome seeing the girl's faces light up at each new one they see. Our favorites, including this one, are the Bottle Lake Fairy Village in Christchurch and the Hobsonville Fairy Houses in Auckland. We are always on the lookout for more fairy villages so if you know of any good ones in New Zealand, let us know!
If you've read a few of our blogs, you might already know that my external HDD crashed, so I lost 6 months of photos and videos (including the raw files from my DSLR camera) eeeek! I wish I could share more photos of the forest with you but these are the only one I have, that I sent to various people and managed to recover.
Know Before You Go
- There are SO many fairy houses and doors on the track, you won't be bored finding them and new houses are being added all the time
- This is a short, return track through the forest
- The track is mostly flat and it's really easy
- Crossing Perotti Park, to get from the carpark to the trailhead, can be super muddy after rain (especially in winter). You feel like you're in the wrong place at first, but the track is at the other side of the field!
- Why not take your own creation and add it to the forest?
How To Get To The Grandjeans Fairy Forest In Greymouth
The Grandjeans Fairy Forest is in Greymouth on the West Coast of New Zealand. To get to the forest track, park on Lydia Street or Bidgood Street and cross Perotti Park to get to the trailhead. Click here for the link on Google Maps.
We parked in a big dirt area at the end of Bidgood Street and walked across the very muddy Perotti Park. It's not well sign posted so take a look at the map so you know where to go!
We parked in a big dirt area at the end of Bidgood Street and walked across the very muddy Perotti Park. It's not well sign posted so take a look at the map so you know where to go!
Conclusion
Who doesn't love a fairy forest?! There are so many gorgeous houses, doors and magical creatures all along the track. We were surprised at how many there were and love the fact that new ones are being added all the time! Some were in obvious places and others were more hidden, which kept the girls entertained the whole time as they searched the forest along the path. The track is mostly flat and is really easy for kids to explore at their own pace without any slow pokes lagging behind.
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