nzflag(1).gif (9615 bytes)        S/V TETHYS

Touring New Zealand by Car
December 2000, February, March 2001

Dargaville
Darga River (8398 bytes)

Dargaville is a small town on the upper reaches of the Wairoa River. We stopped to visit the Marine and Pioneer Museum and have a picnic lunch. This area is in the middle of the kauri gum district and many Dalmatians (from present day Yugoslavia) came to Dargaville to dig for gum at the turn of the 19th century. Later on many of them turned to farming or shopkeeping.

Dargaville row houses (9516 bytes)

 Dalmation gum digger statue (7829 bytes)
The small cottages along the river pictured above were built by a real scrooge. The developer put in fireplaces but charged extra for the chimneys. The statue in the middle of town commemorates the memory of the Gum Diggers. He holds a spade over his shoulder and a rod which  was used to probe for gum in his right hand.
Back to the Northland Map
Charts Journals Ocean Voyages Cruising Tips Photos Tethys Yours truly Links Home Page
1