Walkways
Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway
This fascinating walk follows the old Paeroa to Waihi railway line, with the remainder of the track following the banks of the Ohinemuri River. Old mine buildings and machinery can be seen from a number of locations along the walkway.
Directions: Situated between Paeroa and Waihi, and is serviced by four carparks, located at the Waikino Visitor Centre, Waitawheta Road, Karangahake Reserve and Crown Hill Road.
Time: Two hours one-way. (Allow 45 minutes for the loop section.) Distance is 7 kilometres incorporating a 2 km loop walk).
Talisman Battery Windows Walk
Latest developments by the Department of Conservation in the Karangahake Gorge have seen the upgrade of this track. Along the track visitors can observe relics of the many processes that took place in extracting gold - from the tunnels where rock was extracted, to the roasting pits where the rock was broken down, and finally remnants of the huge stamper battery processing plant. The Talisman battery, built in the 1890s was huge in its day, with 50 stampers crushing rock around the clock. Further initiatives in the development of this walkway are the reconstruction of the tramlines that were used to transport rock to the battery and a number of interpretive boards will be mounted along the walk.
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