Grieving families cling to memories of those lost ahead of Pike River's 10th anniversary

November 18, 2020

Tomorrow marks 10 years since the explosion that took the lives of 29 men.

Tomorrow marks 10 years since the Pike River Mine explosion that took the lives of 29 men. Their families are preparing to mark the anniversary in many different ways. 

Kalani was only one when his dad, Kane Nieper, was killed in the blast.

To remember him, they have a seat bearing his father's name, looking out across the West Coast.

"It feels like he's there. That was his place to be," Kane's widow, Cloe Nieper, told 1 NEWS.

"That was his probably second home, if you'd like to say. It's comforting and it's spiritual. 

"It's like he's definitely there. And more than up in the mine, we know that that's the place he would be."

Back home, Kalani likes to keep his father's favourite surfboard close.

"[It's] sad that I will never know what it's like to be with him," he says.

"It's really special to me because it's my dad's surfboard and when I go to sleep, I can look at it, and it just holds a big importance to me.

"I feel like it's the memory of him and, to be honest, as long as I have the memory of him I don't need anything, I don't need pictures. As long as I have the memory, I'm fine with it."

Memories are all that Alisha Osborne has of her dad too. 

She was 13 when Milton Osborne died.

"I hardly talk about it because it just makes me so upset," she says.

"I don't talk about it and I don't think about it... I guess it just builds up."

It's a constant source of sadness that her little girl Amalia will never get to meet her granddad.

Alisha says it doesn't feel like 10 years since he died.

"I think the way it happened - we haven't had a funeral, we haven't celebrated his life - it's like it hasn't really happened."

She won't be going to the mine tomorrow.

"I'd rather celebrate his life than celebrate the day he died, if that makes sense," she says.

A wreath will be laid at the mine tomorrow, yellow flowers for the Pike 29.

Cloe says she won't take Kalani there again. 

"Once was enough for us. It's too daunting for my liking," she says. 

"But I'm pleased I went there and I've been there now. We will go to the seat... and have time to ourselves and just take a few breaths."

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