Jade Factory Hokitika

... Hokitika is 'place of return" since the Maori kept returning to Hokitika to collect pounamu (local jade also called greenstone) At the Jade factory you can watch artisans carve pounamu. They use a thin electric chisel that uses water like a wet saw. Of ...

... stones or carving the precious green Jade, which is found in huge quantities offshore, into interesting shapes.  We visited the Jade factory briefly to watch the carvers at work (well, "a carver" but then it was Saturday) before dropping in at the ...

Hokitika is NZ's major center for the working of Greenstone or Jade as we know it. Before leaving the town, we visited th jade factory where they had a full size replica in Jade stone of the Americas Cup. You could also but rather expensive Jade golf ...

this backpackers was above a jade factory, pretty cool! this is the only place in new zealand where they naturally find jade (greenstone - ponamu) so there were about 15 different galleries here all selling the jade carving pendants! pretty cool, but ...

Today we headed out to the western coast of New Zealand from Christchurch to a small town called Hokitika. We took one of the few east/west routes, through Arthur's Pass.  This mountain pass goes through Arthurs Pass National Park, with what is ...

... that nice nearly dry (exaggeration) van. Well, we saw Harihari Beach and Mount One One. That's not too bad. In Hokitika we have a look at the Jade factory. Nice work, nice stones. Then we drive on to Reefton, a place having its name from the quartz reef ...

... ; The kids had fun on the swing bridge and Mal and I really enjoyed the views.  We headed into town to visit a jade factory.  Patrick really enjoyed seeing all the jade carvings and bought himself a few pieces.  We bought him some small ...

... the joint was very motherly which I always welcome while I'm travelling and forced to fend for myself). The hostel was right above the Jade Factory, which was very tempting for me, but i held off. That nite, after a nice dinner and chat with some swedish ...

... playing golf nearby. We stopped at the national kiwi centre for viewing of the birds in their nocturnal house, went to the jade factory, sock machine museum, glass blowing studio, black sand beach, etc. It was near dusk before we started our way toward ...

... to leave him hehind in the pub. Been searching for Jade on the beach again this morning, took pockets full of pebbles in to the Jade Factory here in town (Hokitiki) and they laughed at me again - so left another pile of stones on the bench outside the ...