Heartland - Reefton

Gary McCormick visits the West Coast mining town of Reefton in this full length episode. He takes an early morning trip down Surprise Mine, and gains insights into the tough life of a coal miner. Meanwhile, miners' wives talk about being married to someone with a high risk occupation. McCormick also attends the First Light Festival, held to mark Reefton being the first town in the southern hemisphere with electric lighting. Later he heads to the abandoned gold mining town of Waiuta, and back in Reefton meets a woman with a doll collection which takes up her whole house.

Jimmy Martin was one who discovered gold at Waiuta. For his trouble he made £500. A short time later the right was sold to an English mining concern for £30,000. The man who struck the richest gold reef in New Zealand ended his days as a gardener at the local hospital.

– Hist Gary McCormick

Key Cast & Crew

Bill Toepfer

Editor

Swami Hansa

Cinematographer

Maria Bolger

Production Manager

Sean Duffy

Director

Bruce Morrison

Series Producer

William Grieve

Producer