The Karangahake Gorge: History, waterfalls, and windows. Oh my.
Dark creepy mines, a flowing beautiful river, lush green forests, and walls that are so seeped in history that you can still hear the hollers of the past, The Karangahake Gorge is a must do while exploring New Zealand. Located in the Waikato, sandwiched between Paeroa and Waihi, The Gorge is an easy hour or so drive from Auckland, which makes it the perfect weekend getaway for us city slickers.
I am going to walk you through some of the history of the place, two walks you can do in the area, the much needed information on facilities, (I have got your back) and if there are any wildlife in the area.
The old dusty stuff
Gold was the business in this area, and lots of it. The first gold was mined here in 1875 and by 1909 the gold output in this area was 55% of the total gold production for the whole of New Zealand. Now, that is a lot of gold, folks. The question now is, how did all that gold get from the hard quartz surfaces of the Gorge into the hands of gold hungry people. Explosions. Nah. It was a little more complicated than a simple boom.
The miners would first find a vein in the quartz rock. You may be thinking, rocks have veins?? And yes they do, though rather than pumping blood to the heart like in our bodies, in a rock they are a collection of minerals. Pretty neat, eh. This vein was judged to be likely to contain gold. They then followed said vein by tunnelling into the rock, and effectively creating a mine. After they had uncovered the gold enthused quartz or ore, they would transport it using horses and a cart to a battery to be processed. In the Gorge, there were three such batteries; the Crown, Talisman and Woodstock. Below is an image of the Talisman site.
Walking around the area, you will come into contact with a lot of traces from this gold speckled past. Abandoned old mine tunnels, which you can walk through, but remember to bring a flashlight or two to navigate these dark and kind of creepy places. You can walk through the old railway, which once connected Waihi with Paeroa. You will also see old railway lines lying delict in the river, and old ex mine-cart, now more of a photo prop than a usable feature of the place. It is insane to think this quiet place where only the Tui song cuts through the tranquility was once ringing with the noise of explosions, machinery and the hundreds of garbled voices of the miners.
The walks
There are many walks in the area. The two I will explore with you are The Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway and The Windows Walk:
Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway:
Rail Tunnel Loop
Disclaimer: There are a few versions of this walk, each version a little longer the next. I have chosen the Rail Tunnel Loop, as it was the shortest and on the day I walked it, I was feeling lazy. Now, on to the walk.
The Rail Tunnel Loop is an easygoing walk that will take you along the Ohinemuri River. You will be surrounded by lush green native forest as you make your way along the river and rock faces of the gorge. If you arrive on an early frosty morning, it will appear as if you have entered the world of Jurassic Park with the mist sitting heavily above you over the river and embracing the rock faces. It is a magical experience.
You will also get to walk through the 1100m ex-rail tunnel. This 1100m will feel a lot longer as you make your way into the gloom.
Every step you take, does not seem to be a step closer to the exit. Rather it will appear as if you are walking on a treadmill, with no process being made. You will pass small groves in the tunnel. They will look creepy. And you will question, why are they there and more urgently, will a ghastly shadow emerge from th dark. Whatever you do, do not look back. Just keep walking forward. From my description, you can properly gather this is not a walk for the claustrophobic or the easily scared (aka myself).
But, after what seems like an eon, you will emerge onto the Eastern Portal Bridge, which cuts across the Ohinemuri River. This is where a crossroads will occur. You can either walk back down the Ohinemuri River towards the carpark. Or you can walk upstream, and continue along the Historic Walkway. I choose the former.
Some Facts:
Time: 45 minutes for the loop, a lot longer if you decide to do the walkway. Around 4 hours return.
Distance: 2.5 km
Easy factor: I would say in relation to physical toil, a one (easy peasy). But, in relation to mental toil, a solid three (kind of creepy). If you are scared of the dark or enclosed spaces.
Extra: Bring a torch.
Windows Walk
The windows walk is exactly how it sounds really. There are many windows. Now, these windows are not the ones that you are familiar with. They are not made of glass, rather, these windows are gaping holes that have been made into the cliff-face of the gorge.
This walk will get you very close to the history of the area. You will walk past an old minecart. It is chained down, so you will not be able to go for a joyride, but you can hop in and pose for a photo. See below for my attempt at acting as if I am in a runaway cart.
You will also get a chance to walk through old mines and look out the “windows” down to the river.. The mines are quite dark, so a flashlight is a good idea. Again, I would urge caution if you are the one who does not like small tight spaces. This may not be a walk for you.
You will also cross a wonderful old suspension bridge. I love a good sexy bridge, and this one very much satisfied my bridge cravings.
Facts:
Time: One hour.
Distance: 2.5 km Loop
Easy Factor: Very easy. Like a one in regards to walkability. There are a few stairs, but nothing too soul destroying. But again, like a 2 if you are scared of small spaces or the dark.
Extra: Bring a torch
How do get here
By car. If you are driving from Auckland, it is SH1 and then once you are on SH2, you continue on this highway the rest of the way there. For all the rest of you, Google Maps, my friends. Simply type in Karangahake Gorge and away we go. This is a perfect stop if you are heading down the North Island to Rotorua, or heading to the Coromandel.
Facilities:
There are toilets at the carpark at the start of the walk. There are also seats, which is the perfect place for a picnic lunch.
On the way
There are a few stops around this area that are a must. Either for their beauty, or for their cheesy tourist factor.
Below I have mentioned two.
The Paeroa L&P Bottle
What is a stop in Paeroa, without getting out and posing beside a giant bottle. You will pass through Paeroa on your way to the Gorge, and it will be hard to miss. It is a giant L&P bottle. Get out of your car and do the most cheesiest pose of your life. I dare you.
Fun fact: There are actually two giant L&P bottles in Paeroa. One is new, the other is the original bottle. It is up to you, who you choose. But I went with the old fella.
The Owharoa Falls
The falls are less on the way, and more in the general area of the Karangahake Gorge. They can be found a little past the start of the gorge walk, look out for the signs. They are most definitely worth a stop at. New Zealand is known for its sexy falls, and Owharoa Falls is no exception to this general rule.
Go there at sunrise, and while you will freeze your extremities off, you will also be rewarded with a roaring waterfall surrounded by mist. There will also likely be no one else around, so you will have this gorgeous site all to yourself.
Be careful climbing down and up to the waterfall, as it can get a little slippery. This is coming from someone who learnt first hand, when she went ass over elbow and ended up throwing her McDonalds coffee at her partner walking ahead of her. There is no better way to wake up in the morning, then with gravel being embedded into your frozen skin. Who needs coffee, am I right........ So, take my heed, and mind your step folks.
Wildlife
There is not much around these parts. Well, at least not much when I was around. Perhaps the birds remember what it was like when the air was heavy with explosions and the cries of man in the mining era.
These are the birds that I either did spot, or potentially spotted but was unable to properly identify.
My sightings:
Mallard ducks (These were floating idyllically in the river below)
Tui (Heard the distinctive croaks and coughs, of this native bird as I was walking through the bush)
Sparrows (Saw a few of these cute fluffy brown birds, around the carpark)
Other people’s sightings:
Glow worms
Cave weta (While I did not see any cave weta, I am not surprised these are located here. Just do not look up while in the mines, if you are not partial to these critters)
Brown Trout (I did spot a few people fishing along the river, so this is properly what they were looking for)
Eel