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Reefton revival - small town sniffs gold fever
13 minutes to read The rock face is a dripping mask of greywacke and argillite, illuminated by the lights of the jumbo , as the rock drilling machine is known in mining jargon. The diamond drills extend toward the tunnel s end, manipulated by twin booms. Once the drilling is complete, explosives finish the job and the tunnel advances at a rate of about 8 metres a day.
The drills are silent for the moment but despite the damp, the air is dusty. And the tunnel is filled with the thrum of the ventilation system and the low rumble of a huge front-end loader. Back and forth it travels between the rubble in the tunnel s depths and the surface, a length of some 300m.