THE PLATEAU
Honouring
The Past
Respecting
The Future
From Glacial Shaping...
Situated in a locality known as Blue Spur, The Plateau sits on terrain shaped by ancient forces, human endeavour and the resilient renewal of native bush. Blue Spur itself is a ridge and terrace system hosting both sweeping views of the Southern Alps, the ocean and in the direction of Hokitika.
Long before European arrival, the land was sculpted by glaciers pushing through the Southern Alps, followed by millennia of rain, wind and forest growth. This created the elevated plateaus and ridges, naturally drained terraces, and dense indigenous forest. Much of that forest was cleared elsewhere in the region, which makes Blue Spur’s surviving bush and forested terraces particularly ecologically valuable.
To Gold-Rush Settlement...
In the mid-19th century, during the West Coast gold rush, Blue Spur played its part. Prospectors flooded into the region. Alluvial gold was sought in creeks and terraces; “leads” and water races were constructed; and small settlements – hotels, stores, even a school – sprang up at the Spur. Over time, the easiest gold was taken. By the turn of the 20th century, many of the mining operations had run their course, with only sporadic further mining and exploration taking place.
In more recent decades, the land has been used largely for rural-residential and lifestyle purposes. Many parcels once scarred by mining or alluvial extraction have regenerated naturally or been planted with native species. Remnants of historic features remain — old shafts filled in, water races, mine workings, and brickmaking kilns in places such as the Blue Spur clay pits.
To The Path Forward
The Plateau represents the newest chapter: a vision to restore and gently develop this land into a structured wilderness, where architecturally designed passive homes “touch lightly” on the contours, and the bush is allowed to regenerate.
Its purpose is not simply housing, but reconnection - to native land, to quiet spaces, to natural beauty. It builds on the legacy of Blue Spur history - from glacial shaping, to gold-rush settlement, to the beginning of healing and regeneration. This is our path forward.
״All that is gold does not glitter; not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither; deep roots are not reached by the frost."
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien