I only spent a couple of hours in Reefton but discovered something I didn't previously know. Reefton, apart being well known for gold and coal was the first place in New Zealand to generate it's own power. And more amazingly it was DC power (direct current).
I wandered through the town, first into the information centre where I found out about a walkway through the town, over a swing bridge and back along the other side of the Inangahua River where the power was generated.
The main street of the town and shops... Some of them. very interesting...
It took a long time to look through all the treasures here...
You can learn lots of the old history here, drink billy tea and learn how to pan for gold...
Some of the old buildings beautifully restored...
Others... Not so well maintained...
I walked further through the town back along the main highway to...
The beginning of the Powerhouse walk. At the Information Centre I had downloaded an app that I listened to each time there was one of these signs. That's how I learned about the electricity.
Across the Inangahua river...
To the other side and the walking track with the information boards and listening to my app.
What appears to be left of the last old power house today...
Originally the power was only turned on at night, then all day on Tuesday's. Monday was washday and Tuesday was ironing day and all the ladies discovered electric irons. Over time, as the demand outgrew the supply Reefton tried to buy power from the Greymouth power company but Reefton produced DC power and Greymouth AC (alternating current) and the two were not compatible so Reefton eventually sold their company to Greymouth. I found it a fascinating story.
I continued to walk along the river, past some more not so well maintained dwellings...
Back over the main road car bridge and back to my bus. A local man I met on the way told me when the river is angry, that is when the water rises too quickly, it floods over all the flat area where my bus and another motor home are parked. Behind where I am parked is quite a steep rise over a stop bank which would help to stop the river flooding all the shops.
It was a very interesting little sojourn in Reefton.
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