Lamented in song, a gold-mining dream gone bust… nowadays the Waiorongomai Valley is surely the least-known most historically interesting valley on the entire North Island. What? Never heard of it? Seems like nobody else has either, except for DOC and the legion of volunteers who are painstakingly restoring the valley’s goldmine of gold-mining history. Come see...you’ll be amazed at both the historic relic/ ruins and DOC’s effort and expense to rehab everything and place fabulous interpretive signs everywhere. Well done, DOC!
Snaking through the hillsides here are pack tracks and actual 1800s tramline rails—the ACTUAL rails, often half-claimed by the bush. This is NZ’s oldest existing tramline! There are three separate steep “inclines” alternating with level stretches. Exemplary signage brings to life the difficulties the miners faced trying to scrape a living out of these hills. Every day they risked death manipulating these ore-cart balancing schemes called “self-acting inclines.” Fascinating!
Other than relics, the network of tracks also passes mineshafts, tunnels and waterfalls…as well as swimming holes in the stream below. Do not come here without first stopping at the Te Aroha I-site, because there is no trailhead mapboard. The I-site dedicates most of a room to this intriguing valley.
The Tracks: nothing here is easy—this valley demands reasonable fitness to see anything.
Basic loop. About an hour. Explore dark “Low Level Drive” tunnel then head up to Fern spur, along to Butlers Incline, down “Water Race track” and back along the Low Level track.
Moderate loop. 2 hours. Up to Fern spur then over to Butlers then up incline to historic relics. Loop back down on the High Level track.
Difficult loop. 3 hours plus lunch. Fern to Butlers, up incline then over to May Queen incline and up it. At May Queen’s top head over to Canadian gully and Premier Creek (passing Hardies Hut track). Pass thru fun tunnel and then plan on a snack at one of the creeks. Now backtrack to Hardies, go up it and loop back down to Butler incline top. Now take the Buck Rock track down to High Level/Fern spur and down.
