06 Reefton - Iron Bridge - Waiuta

Day 3. It was time to move on from Murchison and get onto our next track. As luck would have it, Tim has a near photographic memory: "The track will start where the green fern just touches the big grey rock on the right hand side of the manuka tree."

Soon our first river crossing was upon us! Weeks of preparation had led to this moment - would the chilli-bins stay in place? Would water enter the trucks? Would George be hungry?

The track was great and all of the trucks got through. It was a long day of driving that ended at the Denniston Incline.

"Once home to a proud and busy community of over 1500 people, the closure of the incline in the late 1960s slowly reduced Denniston to a ghost town. In more recent times, recognition of Denniston as a place of particular historical and industrial significance has seen devoted local people working to preserve its special heritage."

Today, Denniston provides visitors with a unique opportunity to share insight into the rugged way of life on 'the hill' endured by the miners and their families on this isolated mountain plateau. A large number of information panels around the brakehead and car park areas give details of mining, engineering and social aspects.

The town of Denniston is no longer; only two houses remain as permanent residences. However, evidence of the once thriving community remains all across the plateau - the steps to nowhere, mining equipment and the old foundations all remind visitors of the town that was. This old coal mine is an integral part of West Coast history and the kids enjoyed looking round.

Time was getting on and Ray needed to head to Reefton to pick up the key for Waiuta Lodge. The rest of us headed to Westport, mainly to stock up on food - though LR4 also took the opportunity to renew the wine cask(s). New Years Eve was approaching so we needed to make sure we were well supplied!

Waiuta was 20 minutes south of Reefton and then a further 30 mins off the main road. As it was getting late, I was imagining how isolated

the Waiutian's must've felt when their only form of transport was horse!

"Waiuta, the town at the top of the West Coast's richest gold mine, grew from the region’s last great gold discovery in 1905. Today, the town is almost empty of buildings but still full of memories and history. Within its forest-surrounded setting, many mining relics remain from the days when hundreds worked there, and a few of the town's original buildings still stand." - Old Friends of Waiuta.

The camp in the restored maternity hospital building was pretty cool - though the dorm situation did mean that some people preferred to stay in tents. LR2, LR3, LR4 and LR9 found their pitches and set about getting comfortable for a 3 night stay.