A panorama showing the tiny cemetery at Gillespies Beach. The people interred here were part of the gold mining community. Today the cemetery is partially overgrown and full of buzzing from large insects.

Gillespies Beach Cemetery - Fox Glacier visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Gillespies Beach Cemetery' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from West Coast.

Gillespies Beach was established during the gold rush in New Zealand during the 1860's. The settlement quickly grew in size and at one time had several taverns. The gold found here was in alluvial or placer deposits. This was washed out from the mountain ores by both river and glacial action (Gillespies Beach is a short distance from both Fox Glacier and Franz Josef Glacier). Mining operations involved panning and dredging.

Little today remains of the town, which dwindled as quickly as it grew once the gold ran out. All that remains today is the small cemetery and the rusting hulk of the gold mine dredges half buried in the sand dunes behind the beach. Walking north along the beach eventually takes you to an old miner's tunnel under a headland dug by miners trying to provide easier access to deposits on the northern side of the headland.

Gillespies Beach is about 20km west of Fox Glacier Township. Take Cook Flat Road past Lake Matheson and then Gillespies Beach Road (a narrow, winding dirt track) down to the beach itself and car park.