Here is the map for the day's activities:
The TB summary gives us the overview of the day:
The TB summary gives us the overview of the day:
12/15: Bkfst @ Ashley Hotel. Brunner
mine site tour (1896 disaster). Black’s Point mine / memorabilia tour w/ Graham
(++). Tea & biscuits @ Old Beards Tea Room (felt like we’d time traveled to
the Hat Creek Ranch in Lonesome Dove!). Walking tour of Reefton w/
Paul. Catered lunch at Odd Fellows Hall w/ Paul (suitably odd). Scenic drive
(+) along Buller River to Cape Foulwind. short (~2 mi) walk along Cape Foulwind
Walkway (++). Scenic drive down West Coast to Punakaiki Rocks & Blowholes;
short but impressive hike there. Dinner at leisure w/ Tor & PF at Jones’s
Café in Greymouth.
So off we go this morning- with our first stop not too far out of Greymouth- at the site of the Brunner Mine disaster the largest mining disaster in the NZ history. The site has some nice exhibits and a serenity it never had when it was a working mine. it covers both sides of the river and has an historical walk.
from there we head out to Reefton- the first electrified town in NZ -which is also a mining town and the electricity was a round about by product of the mining operations.
they made tea and scones with Manuka honey in the tea and syrup and jam on the scones- and actually having been made over an open fire in each case- the tea break we had with them was pretty darn good- I managed to down a couple of cups of tea and a couple of scones as well.
oh and to back track a bit- I took this photo across from the Brunner Mine site- and I wondered if the ferns had adapted to this incredible panoply of color because of all the coal dust in the area - back in the day....
but I was very taken by the colors and so made sure to get this shot as we got back on our bus-
our next stop- still in Reefton is out to the Blacks Point Museum
if you end up ANYWHERE near Reefton- don't miss this gem of a small museum- it has at least one of everything from Reefton's past- we had a guided tour and the guide was extremely knowledgeable so he made the artifacts come alive for us - we also watched a short film in the museum meeting room but is must not have been all that memorable because I have no clue now- a month later- what it was about...LOL
above an adding machine and below a cash register with pounds and shillings and pence! followed by a typewriter with separate capitals and lower case keys!
books on all kinds of subjects- including one for PSF- LOL
and area featuring a suffragette- first country for woman's voting rights - NZ!
the elusive kiwi stuffed and mounted for our edification- LOL
what a treasure trove it was! I am sure we missed half of what was in this place and hours more could have been whiled away finding more incredible and fascinating objects from the past... but for us- Mike has a schedule and so off we go to the place where they mined for gold using hydro generated electricity ran the crushing...
so on to the next post- where we return to town for a tour- have lunch in the Odd Fellows Hall and buy socks and gloves made of possum!
they made tea and scones with Manuka honey in the tea and syrup and jam on the scones- and actually having been made over an open fire in each case- the tea break we had with them was pretty darn good- I managed to down a couple of cups of tea and a couple of scones as well.
if you have anything old and rusty - it looks like they will take it here at the Bearded Miners camp- LOL - as we were getting ready to leave I asked the one miner for a photo and I think it turned out quite nicely- he had evidently been burned and his face especially near his eye was a bit disfigured- maybe that is how he ended up with the job of making tea for the tourists...
oh and to back track a bit- I took this photo across from the Brunner Mine site- and I wondered if the ferns had adapted to this incredible panoply of color because of all the coal dust in the area - back in the day....
our next stop- still in Reefton is out to the Blacks Point Museum
if you end up ANYWHERE near Reefton- don't miss this gem of a small museum- it has at least one of everything from Reefton's past- we had a guided tour and the guide was extremely knowledgeable so he made the artifacts come alive for us - we also watched a short film in the museum meeting room but is must not have been all that memorable because I have no clue now- a month later- what it was about...LOL
above an adding machine and below a cash register with pounds and shillings and pence! followed by a typewriter with separate capitals and lower case keys!
books on all kinds of subjects- including one for PSF- LOL
and area featuring a suffragette- first country for woman's voting rights - NZ!
the elusive kiwi stuffed and mounted for our edification- LOL
what a treasure trove it was! I am sure we missed half of what was in this place and hours more could have been whiled away finding more incredible and fascinating objects from the past... but for us- Mike has a schedule and so off we go to the place where they mined for gold using hydro generated electricity ran the crushing...
so on to the next post- where we return to town for a tour- have lunch in the Odd Fellows Hall and buy socks and gloves made of possum!
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