Welcome to Springfield, or Tawera, a classic New Zealand town located right at the base of the dramatic Southern Alps. While it looks peaceful today, this was once a bustling frontier hub! The town, originally known as Kowai Pass until 1880, truly grew up around 1860 with the discovery of gold on the West Coast. Imagine the scene here in the 1860s: the Springfield Hotel, first built in 1862, was a vital, 40-room staging post packed with weary travellers and coaches heading over the passes. This