Adventure Magazine

An ode to the
prospectors
Words and Images by Leon Butler
www.visualyarn.com | Insta - Leon.butler1
Christopher Reily drags himself out into the
brisk kiwi morning, puts a pan of water in the
fire and gets himself ready for the day. It’s
1862 and he’s a little late to the Otago gold
rush, but he sees what others don’t and is
confident he can find his share of the spoils.
“Today’s the day,” he proclaims aloud in a selfmotivating
yell, “today is the day all this bloody
effort pays off.”
The past few days of breaking trail into his
new-found stashes in the Dunstan area have
taken their toll, but Reily wouldn’t have it any
other way. His body hurts but every time he
strikes gold that pain is washed away in the
sluicing. There’s no better feeling than seeing
results from a good day's graft.
Reily was a visionary, a creative who was both
tough and practical. Through stubbornness
and experience, he found gold in the dirt
of Central Otago at a time when the boom
was thought to be over. He saw something
different in Dunstan and he set the tone that
started an influx of activity into the area of
others looking to get rich off the harsh Otago
terrain. He is a prime example of what can
happen when determination and imagination
combine with human endeavour.
same dirt,
different
reward
Pete riding his bike in the
footsteps of Otago gold miners.
58//WHERE ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS/#237