Nearly had a mishap – we were all set to depart from Central Part Camping when the owners stopped Robin. Our waste pipe was still on the ground after using the dump station. We all know how that would have ended, don't we – it had happened to us previously. Robin quickly hooked it back into place, and we were on our way.
Thanks for letting us know
A short 25km drive later we pulled into Blackball. We know it is coal mining country, there’s another of those coal trucks again.
Entrance to Blackball
It’s been a while since we had been here, and the town was looking a little perkier since our last visit. There was a new sign on the wall, showing how Blackball had changed when the mine closed in 1964, and slowly but surely hung on to life.
We are staying at the Blackball Inn, joined by three other vans in a parking area surrounded by flowering shrubs. This business runs as a pub, restaurant, coffee bar, and motel unit.
Staying at the Blackball Inn
Across the road is the famous Blackball Salami Company, another good reason for stopping in this small place. Our purchases were salami, black pudding, just the thing for our next Sunday breakfast, and sausages. We remember buying some of these tasty smallgoods last time we were here, back in 2012. The lady serving us mentioned that there have been a lot of new arrivals in Blackball over the last year or two.
The rain set in so we went exploring. What’s that, we wondered as we drove past, wonder what Moonlight is? The interpretation boards told us all about it. Very interesting indeed, as we had never heard of the Moonlight Mines.
Gold was first discovered in 1865 by George Moonlight in Moonlight Creek. News of the discovery spread quickly and 300 diggers reportedly left Hokitika Goldfields for Moonlight. It was estimated that 8 tons of gold were taken from the Moonlight area. Most miners dug the ground with a pick and shovel, using water to wash the material through sluice boxes, then separating the gold from gravel with a gold pan. People traveled from different countries to New Zealand to seek their fortunes, including 70 Chinese miners working in Moonlight.
Sluice water cannons
From here we set out to find the Pike River Mine Memorial. On 19th November 2010 the Pike River Coalmine exploded, with 31 men underground. Two men walked out and twenty-nine were lost. None of the miners has ever been recovered so a special place to grieve was called for. Each miner has his own rock - the closest thing the families have got to a gravesite, individually decorated in memory of their lost family member. Most had an engraved plaque, with personal items added, pictures, boots, painted stones, a helmet, tools, whatever was relevant in the miner’s life. Plenty of beer bottles were added.
The largest granite boulder lists all the names of the “Pike 29” as they became known. The yelllow signpost shows where each miner came from. We walked slowly around reading each story. Although this memorial has been shown on TV, it was very moving to see it in real life. So many lives lost, so many young men, family men too, all so sad.
Pike River Memorial
On the way back to camp we stopped to look at this cheeky fellow. What was he? Someone’s idea for a rather unusual letter box, it seems.
Hello there, what’s your name
In the evening we joined two of our fellow campers for a meal in the Blackball Inn. The food was great, as was the company, so good that not a photo was taken all evening! Surprisingly, dogs were allowed, seemingly welcomed, inside the pub.
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