Kōrero: Coaches and long-distance buses

Coaches stand outside J. Jackson’s Perry Range Hotel on the West Coast, in the 1890s. Hotels and coaching houses, also known as accommodation houses, were often sited a day’s drive apart, as many journeys took several days. In the 19th century, the 250-kilometre coach journey over the main divide from Christchurch to Greymouth took three days, with 11 stops to change horses. Accommodation houses often had stables and blacksmiths attached or nearby, to look after the horses.