Formerly The Blackball Hilton — Restaurant in South Island

We stayed for one day on our way through from Greymouth to Waiuta and Reefton. A friend had told me that it was the most terrifying place she had visited on the West Coast and they pedaled-to-the-metal but actually - like most country towns it was wonderfully friendly once the rough exterior was almost immediately cracked. Just take your muddy gumboots off before going inside and it will all be fine! Nobody does hospitality like the country folks, and I did not know it was the centre of unionist activism and communism in New Zealand (and then afterwards she told me something she omitted which explained everything, she and her rich wideboy friend drove into town in a Ducati droptop and everyone stopped dead outside the pub, beers halfway to lips, disapproving). Anyway I digress.

The hotel is quaint, with a fascinating collection of all sorts of vintage or antique memorabilia and knickknacks everywhere you look. It is full of kooky charm starting with its name 'Formerly the Blackball Hilton' to get around the lawsuit by the Hilton Hotels (another reason to dislike Paris).

The rooms were fine, it is a share bathroom situation but we have no issue with that having stayed in all kinds of places. The service was super friendly and accommodating. Oh, and the rooms are a VERY reasonable price too. We rolled into town having barely booked, literally by phone in the car and they just slid us in ready for when we arrived shortly after.

Then we decided to treat ourselves to a special dinner and we were literally the only patrons in the restaurant on a Sunday night; we had an amazing chef to ourselves and put her to use - it was a fabulous meal of which I'll post pictures. It was delicious and the presentation great. We enjoyed it all from whitebait entree (YES, finally!) to the desserts (forgot to take pics of these it looks like).

We could have had a cooked-to-order breakfast too but honestly we were so stuffed by then we couldn’t contemplate it. The comp continental breakfast provided un til 10 am is very basic but fine and you can order good coffee from the bar.

Blackball its self is pretty small but adorable with all kinds of interesting sites everywhere you look, cute buildings and shops, themed public art details, mining memorabilia, a gourmet small-goods factory/retail a couple of minutes walk away so we stocked up there, a milkbar/dairy, one more pub, and a historical display with a museum in progress of being built next to the hotel.

The hotel had a book with a wedding picture of my great grandma at age 18 which was new to me, and that then reminded me my second great grandpa, her daddy, was a union leader in Buller; and Blackball was also part of his 'beat' when called upon in industrial action. He would’ve tippled at this very pub.

Signs 'United We Stand, Divided We Fall', the union wobblies' call to arms reminded me of my old mate Freddie Moore from Wollongong (RIP) who used to repeat it like a battle cry. So not only were there a number of familial/friend connections to this place but we had a great time. We absolutely loved it. Highly recommended stop on your West Coast tour, in...

I was excited at the prospect of staying at this old hotel. Our previous visit to Blackball was just a day trip. || ||I grew up in Mangawhai, Northland NZ. The parents of a primary school friend owned the old local hotel and I went to her birthday party there (in the living quarters at the back). It was somehow exciting to an 8 year old who lived on a farm.|| ||I've since stayed at a few of these 'older' establishments in NZ and the vibe is usually a fun one. I was prepared for the lack of luxury. You meet the locals who share their stories. The memorabilia on display is interesting and the old photos and newspaper clippings on the walls tell you about the lives of previous residents in the town. ||||After arriving late afternoon we sat down for a drink and registered. While I didn't expect it to be five-star nothing prepared me for the rudeness of the woman who served us and she appeared to be in charge.||||She was rude, snippy, had a grumpy manner and spoke down to both my partner and myself. It was as though she had had a bad day and more work tipped her over. ||||This carried over to the next morning during breakfast. After leaving, I was so insulted it actually ruined the rest of the day.||||It's unfortunate this person has to be the 'front of house' as she must put people off ever returning. I won't stay there again. I've travelled extensively worldwide and have never been...

This rightly famous, quirky old NZ is a real gem and a must to stay in on your travels. An experience you won't forget.||Fabulous evening meal. Venison beautifully cooked. Add to that crepe suzettes and homemade pistachio icecream for dessert a real treat. Ab fab. Best meal of a 15 day trip south! A wonderful chef 👨‍🍳 |Wines perfectly acceptable and there are various local beers.||Hotel has so much history. The Pike River mine disaster photos and other memorabilia a stark reminder of NZ mining tragedies.||| Early Labour Party history and much, much more.|| Mine hosts a fount of local historical knowledge. There is no doubt they support a lot of the local events. Anzac Day for example.| Room extremely basic, however double hung sash window provided fresh air, always a bonus. Showers and loos extremely basic but plentiful hot water. Take an extension cord if using hair dryer as only one plug outlet in the room. On the landing a large basket of hot water bottles ( no ekectric blankets) .|Comfortable old sitting room with leather sofas to watch TV, read, or play Scrabble.|Breakfast includes locally sourced black pudding. Cynthia's coffee 5 star excellent. ||Small museum next door ( interesting history of maternity nursing in NZ).||Stay a night, it is like...