Karangahake Gorge

A window into our mining past

Take in one of the Coromandel's best walking areas while getting a fascinating close-up on our gold-mining history.

The breathtaking Karangahake Gorge on Coromandel Peninsula is rich in mining history and riddled with walkways and old tunnels. This picturesque stretch of river was once home to one of the busiest gold strikes in the country. Three huge, steam-operated mining batteries were built there in the 1890s to process ore.

The area is so peaceful now that it's hard to imagine the ear-shattering noise of the battery stamper heads pounding 24-hours-a-day.

An easy grade 4.5-kilometre walkway follows a historic railway line and the Ohinemuri River along the valley, exploring old battery sites and mining relics.

A highlight is the 1-kilometre tunnel with its 'windows' blasted by the miners through the mine shaft walls and out through the cliffs fronting the Waitewheta River. Originally designed for throwing waste rock out of the mine, they now allow great viewing of the surrounding area.

Pack a picnic lunch with you to enjoy the resting sites and a number of large pools in the Ohinemuri River that are good for swimming during the summer.