Well we’ve finally left Seddonville and headed back, retracing our route to Westport where a good shop at the Supermarket was required and a large diesel refuel. At last the diesel has dropped to a reasonable level from it’s $1.84 a litre in Karamea!
A nice drive through the Buller Gorge with the river showing good activity after the heavy rain over the last few days. The overhanging cliffs above our heads were spectacular but I wasn’t able to stop for a photo. We drove off the main road the 28km to Reefton where we intend to stay at the Racecourse, another POP in the NZMCA Travel Directory.
Into the isite to see whats about and to read the information on forests and mining in the area.
Reefton Rail Station Broadway – 1st to See the Light
Reefton was the first town in NZ to get electric light in 1888 after the formation of the Reefton Electrical Transmission and Lighting Company in December 1886. The scheme involved diverting part of the Inangahua river into a water race at Blacks Point. It took 20 months to build the water race install the machinery and wire the town. Total cost was $7000. After a few trials and tribulations 130 lamps were installed in locals houses by Mid September for 1 pound a time by the local tinsmith.
Today (Saturday) we went back down Broadway to the Bearded Miners Company, Gavin,Peter and Geoff are “in residence” all year and welcome visitors to their replica miners hut in the centre of town.
These gents are quite happy to sit and “chew the fat” on the history of Reefton and anything else you want to talk about.
From there we headed up the road to a cafe where we understood we could get “the best Whitebait Fritter on the Coast” Unfortunately it didn’t live up to expectations, was quite tasteless and very expensive – nothing like the lovely ones we had in Greymouth at the Wild Olive Cafe behind the Royal Hotel
Tomorrow off to Murchison.
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