Ain’t no party like a West Coast party
Helen Bennett and Murray Wieblitz are hoping to see some new faces at this year’s ex-West Coasters Reunion in August. Photo: Jo Kent.
New Zealand’s most travelled man is paying Richmond a visit at the ex-West Coaster Reunion bash on Sunday 13 August at 1pm.
John Bougen has visited 243 counties and once travelled to 191 of them in only 150 days, going with just five pairs of underpants and socks, five shirts and the shoes he was wearing.
But, despite seeing virtually every place on the planet, John has chosen to call former gold mining frontier town Reefton home.
He recently finished a renovation of the old Reefton School, one of 40 historic building renovations he has been involved in since he moved to the town, population 920, in 2015.
Organisers of the event, Murray Wieblitz and Helen Bennett, say John is such a significant figure on the West Coast they are thrilled he’s coming out of ‘retirement’ to speak at their annual event.
“We approached him to see if he’d want to be our speaker and he said he would come out of retirement from public speaking just for us as he hasn’t done it for seven years,” Murray says.
According to data from Infometrics, Reefton’s GDP has risen from $39.4 million in 2019 to $54.1 million in 2021 – with a $10.2m increase in economic activity from mining alone.
John says, due to gold mining coming back to the area more housing is needed, and he’s renovated several old buildings and transformed them into apartments.
The school is just one example, with John turning the 1933 building into four high-end apartments.
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“As well as hearing from John about how he came to be in Reefton and how he’s transformed the town, the reunion is a chance for all ex-West Coasters to connect - be it old friends or new faces. It’s a family-friendly event and everyone is welcome,” John says.
An afternoon tea is included in the price of the ticket, although Helen says guests do need to RSVP prior so they can finalise catering numbers.
“People can buy their tickets on the door in cash, but I do ask that they ring or text me so we have an idea of numbers,” she says.
The reunion is at Club Waimea on Sunday 13 August from 1pm. Tickets are $10 cash at the door. Please RSVP to Helen on 021 378 748 before Friday 4 August.