A day in the life of a Coaster

Imagine this.

6am - Visit the Westland Recreation Centre to get the heart rate pumping with a Les Mills RPM class. The Westland Recreation Centre is the sports hub of the Grey District and boasts swimming pools, hydroslides, sauna, spa, stadium with two courts and first class gym. There is a fabulous range of group fitness classes on offer, designed for all ages and all abilities, including the Les Mills franchise of fitness classes, circuit, yoga and around 50 classes.

8am - Grab your caffeine fix from one of our upmarket cafes before heading to work. No need for an hour long plus commute, traffic snarls or parking woes here in Greymouth.

Noon - Head home for lunch with your partner or family on the deck of your home which didn’t cost you an arm and a leg and then some. The average house price in Greymouth is just $219,000 (as at September 2018, www.qv.co.nz) and our housing stock ranges from quaint bungalows and villas to modern new builds.

1.30pm - The boss has given you the afternoon off – or maybe you’re the boss and give yourself the afternoon off and head outdoors. You could ride one of our many mountain biking tracks or pull on your tramping boots and get some practice in on one of our many walks through nature in anticipation of the Paparoa Track opening in 2019. This will be New Zealand’s 10th Great Walk, the first new Great Walk constructed in New Zealand in 25 years and it’s going to be right here on the West Coast!

4pm - Take a drive along the Great Coast Road, ranked in the top ten coastal drives in the world according to Lonely Planet. Sit and admire the rugged and authentic coastline of the mighty Tasman Sea, feel the power of Mother Nature and see if you can spot a dolphin or two.

6pm - Head to Monteith’s and enjoy a refreshing craft beer, maybe also taking the opportunity to sample a prized West Coast delicacy, whitebait.

8pm - Time to put your feet up for a couple of hours and take in a 3D movie in one of the custom built cinemas at the Regent Theatre.

10pm - The day is almost done but before it does, wander down the main street and through the new Town Square, complete with sculpture designed by local talent and third in the 2017 WOW Awards, Weta Workshop: Science Fiction category, Craig McMillan. Then stroll along the floodwall which sits beside the Grey River and protects the town. The last big flood in our District was in 1988 (there were actually two floods in 1988) and you can see how high the water rose by the plaque on the side of the Regent Theatre building.

11pm - Let the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach lull you to sleep. This can be heard through central Greymouth a surprising distance from the sea.

Don’t just imagine. Come and experience it for yourself.