“The Bearded Miners” – now, how could I resist checking them out at Reefton? A group of men calling themselves the Bearded Miners, entertain visitors at the replica 1800s miners hut in the main street of Reefton. They are full of interesting stories, but oh, that hut! A dirt floor, daylight coming in through the chinks of the timber, it must have been a tough old life indeed high up on the hills as the men fossiked for gold. The only covering over the windows was a couple of sacks nailed up over the opening. Cooking was done on a pot hanging over the open fire, which would be the only way to keep the cold at bay, and probably most of the heat would escape up the chimney, and through the holes in the walls. I’m glad I was not a miner’s wife back in the old days.
Here I am with two of the “Bearded Miners of Reefton”
So after my chat with the miners and a good look around their drafty wooden hut, my own bearded fellow and I went across the road for a tasty lunch, wild pork and bacon pies. Wonder if one of those miners had been out shooting the wild pork for the cafe?
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