The pain experienced by the families of the dead is still palpable and seems an unfortunate and unnecessary burden to bear.
Survivor Daniel Rockhouse believes he and Russell Smith were not the only two who survived the first mine explosion and some miners may have got as far as the "drift", a 2.5km tunnel leading into the mine. Mr Rockhouse made his way out of the mine, dragging Mr Smith with him. He calls Solid Energy’s plans to permanently plug the mine with concrete disgusting.
This week, Mr Rockhouse’s mother Sonya, who lost her son Benjamin (21), and Anna Osborne, whose husband Milton (54) died in the disaster, have been protesting at the gates of the mine. The protesters say they will remain until Prime Minister John Key makes good on his promise to families. Mrs Rockhouse says Mr Key made a commitment to get the 29 bodies out in 2014.
Recapping the events since the first explosion reveals a trail of despair for the families. A second explosion followed on November 24 and families were told there was no chance the 29 workers were alive.
Two days later, a third, smaller explosion, was followed by a fourth explosion which ignited coal in the mine. On November 28, Mr Key announced a royal commission inquiry into the mine tragedy. The gases remained volatile, preventing the body recovery.
In December, Pike River Coal is placed into receivership and in January the following year, the police abandon attempts to recover the bodies.
From there, safety failings by the company were identified, Peter Whittall was sacked as chief of Pike River Coal and Mr Key told families he was committed to getting the miners out.
Fast forward to 2013 and families were left confident bodies could be recovered and the board of Solid Energy signed off a plan to re-enter the tunnel. In 2014, Solid Energy delayed, then abandoned, its recovery efforts and Government ministers confirmed the mine would be converted into conservation land and preserved as a memorial.
Last year, Mr Key said he did not think anyone in their right mind would say another 15 men should be sent in at their peril because some family members wanted their loved ones removed.
Alas, it appears the impasse on whether the remains of the 29 miners can be recovered will not be resolved easily or quickly.
Environment Minister Nick Smith met the Pike River families in Greymouth on Wednesday to tell them Solid Energy had deferred work on decommissioning the mine this week.
Dr Smith remains doubtful the mine can be safely re-entered but family representatives say their evidence shows methane levels are low enough to allow an inspection.
He says the mine is full of methane and is likely to have residual heat sources capable of triggering an explosion if there is a source of oxygen. There is the added risk of rock falls. The Government has spent more than $5 million trying to find a safe way of re-entering the mine but supports the conclusion it is not practically possible.
There comes a time when hope dies after tragedies such as that at Pike River. It is obvious hope remains alive in Greymouth among the families affected by the explosions. Their hurt is an open wound, a sore on their souls.
Despite the Government’s best efforts, the families feel betrayed but the justification for putting more lives at risk remains tenuous, at best.
Perhaps the Government could, one last time, bring in independent mining operators to give a definitive opinion on the likelihood of the mine ever being safe to enter. The families still may not accept the evidence but then, surely, everything possible will have been done to bring the men home.
