Te Kuha | |
|---|---|
  Te Kuha | |
| Coordinates:41°49′33″S171°39′16″E / 41.82583°S 171.65444°E /-41.82583; 171.65444 | |
| Country | New Zealand |
| Region | West Coast |
| District | Buller District |
| Electorates | West Coast-Tasman Te Tai Tonga |
Te Kuha is a small village located to the east ofWestport in theBuller District of theWest Coast region of New Zealand'sSouth Island. It is located at the western end of the LowerBuller Gorge, with theBuller River flowing through the village.[citation needed]
It was the site of a punt that connected Westport to the south bank before the "black bridge" was constructed at Westport itself.State Highway 6 runs on the southern bank of the river, and theStillwater - Westport Linerailway runs on the northern bank. This railway was opened to Te Kuha from Westport in 1912, but a connection through the Buller Gorge to connect with the railway inInangahua Junction was not completed until 1942. Passenger services no longer pass through Te Kuha and the railway mainly transportscoal to the east coast port ofLyttelton.[citation needed]
There is not much evidence that the village at Te Kuha even existed now in 2023. The road ends as the railway enters the Buller Gorge, and the surrounding flats are used for farming. There are no building remains, and further access on the railway side of the Buller river is discouraged by the railway activity. Although this point was the punt crossing in the early days for the road on the south bank at Windy Point, the building of the black bridge across the Buller spelt the death knell of Te Kuha. However, the railway was opened as far as Cascade Creek wherecoal bins stored the coal flumed down from the Cascade Mine for loading into trains for shipment at Westport. During World War II the Government completed the Buller Gorge Railway in 1942 and finally connected the isolated "Westport section" to the rest of the South Island Railway system.[citation needed]
Te Kuha was classified as a "limited employment locality" in 2004, with the government cancelling benefits for unemployed individuals who moved to the area.[citation needed]
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