Asbestos Cottage was built in 1897 by prospectors coming to Kahurangi National Park to search for asbestos. What we now know to be a carcinogenic mineral, asbestos was widely used for over a century to provide a fireproof barrier and insulation to buildings.

One miner in particular, Henry Chaffey, lived in this isolated hut for over 40 years with his wife Annie Fox. Visitors today will be struck by the isolation of the building, tucked between mountains and forests. One can only imagine how lonesome it would have been a hundred years ago. However, Annie was always glad to greet visitors in her impressive Edwardian-style clothing.

Chaffey would make visits to Motueka and Takaka by foot for provisions and to sell what he was able to mine in order to support himself and his wife. This trek would have taken him days to complete.