Once again, my grateful thanks must go to Harriet Allan for pushing me until the pen ran dry and then some. It must have been like pulling a tooth without anaesthetic, Harriet. Thanks also to: Rachel Scott for her eagle-eyed editing and the rest of the team at Random House who, like Cinderella’s godmother, worked so hard at turning a raw pumpkin into a splendid coach; Dr Denis Alder, consultant in Forest Biometrics, for sound advice and getting the imagination rolling; Mary Rooney, archivist at the West Coast Historical Museum, in particular for the most amazing map of 1891–96 Revell Street, Hokitika; Lynne Morrison of the Dental and Medical Libraries, University of Otago, for her relentless searching of the archives and never turning a hair at my questions — some of which, it has to be said, were rather odd; Dr Ted Nye for reading the medical scenes concerning Seaview Hospital — any mistakes are mine; Bill Johnson for the use of his extensive library — his enthusiasm for the history of the West Coast is infectious; Margaret Mort and her colleagues at History House, Greymouth; Phillip Jeeves of the ARHS Railway Museum, Victoria, Australia, for a condensed history of the Victorian railway systems; and Judy and Barry Otto, Iris Leach, Loren Teague, and my sister, Margaret Stephen, for their encouragement, support and help.