One Little Mytton (Day 2)

Okay, so here's the first day of my holiday in Greymouth, in pictures - I've had a camera pointing at me all day long, like I was a celebrity or something. These are just some of them.

I had a big sleep, when I woke up this morning, Granddad had already gone to work.

We went shopping - to the $2 shop first, (of course!) I'll have more toys than Granddad soon.


Then we went to the Supermarket to stock-up on boy-food. Yay!


I took my Heroes and Monsters outside so they could play in the sun.


Chrissie came to visit, so she had to play with them too.


We went down to the fishing boats. Belinda came too.


You have to be careful around here.


Think I look lke a pirate? Maybe that's what I'm gonna be.


On the way back home, I did some tree-hugging.


Maybe I won't be a pirate - I might be a Greenie instead.


I showed Tui how to jump on the trampoline.


I think he can work it out for himself.


I got Vi out of her chair and told her to sit in the armchair so that I could have a turn, (It's a bit tricky).


I had a haircut while I was in the bath. Pretty cool, eh? I'm big now.


I'm so big I didn't want to wear a nappy. I told them, "I want to do it in the toilet!"


Nany's got no toilet seat. She said I might fall down the hole! I got out of there fast.


So now I'm watching Toy Story, with Tui, and we're waiting for my big cousins to arrive on the bus.


And that's enough.

Luke

One Little Mytton

(Here is a quick look into a day in the life of Luke).

So, apparently, we're on holiday - just me, myself and I. Mummy, Grace, Kate and I got in the car this morning and we went to Murchison. Nanny and Fizzy were there! (that's funny).

We went to the Junk Shop and I scored some Heroes and Monsters. Mummy and the girls went somewhere and I got in Nanny's car and we went to Greymouth. We picked-up Granddad from his work and went to Granddad's House. That was cool.

(Granddad's a bit scared of the monsters - especially the 'scary spiders').

These crazy people had a whole lot of yellow and orange snakes in their living-room, but I saved them. I threw them into Fizzy's room.

After tea, which I didn't eat a lot of, we went to the Warehouse and I scored some more heroes. Then I had a bath - all by myself! (That doesn't happen very often), and we went to bed.

I think I'm going to like this being on holiday. They say that my big cousins are coming tomorrow - they're on holiday too! There's no kids here yet though - just me! Well, there is my Granddad, I'm not sure if that counts.

Luke

Interesting Visitors

We had visitors today from Wellington, Brisbane, Byelorussia and - this couple, Lorraine and Gerald, were from Christchurch.(Whoop-de-do!)

However, they're almost relations. Lorraine's Grandfather married my Grandmother, 48 years ago. (Sheesh!) So, that means we're, almost, cousins.

Great to see you.

cheers

Visitors on a Rainy Day

By now, we've seen people from all over the world - Australia, USA, Canada, England, France, China, New Caledonia, etc. etc. But these two people were the first from Tahiti! Sorry i didn't get their names - i'm a bit slow sometimes.

They were the only two visitors that we had all day, but they were such delightful people that it made it worthwhile being there. A real joy to meet them, even if i don't know their names.

cheers

Recent Reefton

A recent pic of Broadway, Reefton, by night. (for the picky-people).

Should've used this first time around, but it might have been too hard to spot the difference.

cheers

They Say the Lights are Always Bright on Broadway

These are 2 pics of Broadway. One is in New York, the other is in Reefton. Can you tell which is which?

Actually, Reefton's main street got it's name from Thomas Broad, the first resident magistrate in the town. When he arrived there, he got out of the coach outside Dawson's Hotel, looked up the mud-track and he said, "Well, it's not Broadway." So they changed the name so that it is.

Not quite the same, but at least they've got the same name.

Reefton Electric Light and Power Company Limited

REEFTON

BIG RIVER TRACK

Time 1 night, 2 days
Grade moderate
Features Beech forest & mining remnants within Victoria Forest Park to the historic Big River gold mining township.

BOTTLED LIGHTING POWERHOUSE WALK
Time 40 minutes
Grade easy
Features Site of hydro station for the first public supply of electricity in the southern hemisphere. River views.

REEFTON GOLDIELDS JOURNEY
Time 3 to 5 days
Grade moderate
Features Victoria Conservation Park with beech forest & mining settlements of the past. Including Waiuta, Big River & Murray Creek goldfields.

Today is the 4th of August 2008. (Here it is anyway). 120 years ago today Reefton became the first town in the Southern Hemisphere to have a public electricity supply - it's actually debatable whether Reefton or New York came first.

There were big celebrations in Reefton all weekend - of course! It's their big claim to fame.

However, I always tell people that Reefton had electricity in 1886, because they did. Walter Prince came to town, with a small electric generator, hooked it up to the steam plant in the Monteith's Brewery, (which was Reefton's brewery btw - not bloody Greymouth's, as is claimed now), and he held public demonstrations of the electric power.

It caught people's imagination and some locals got together and formed a company and started building a power station - and that was in 1886. The company was registered on 6 December 1886. It was 20 months in the building of the actual power station - a hydro scheme in 1886!

Pretty impressive for a small town at the end of the world.