A STEP BACK INTO THE GOLDRUSH ERA
29 JANUARY 2024
A Very Unique Trail Entry
Hokitika, on the West Coast Region of New Zealand, has some beautiful short walks and most are in the rainforest, including the Tunnel Terrace Track. The trailhead to this track is in the most random place on a quiet road in the forest and if you blink, you'll miss it! We had read that there was a little carpark not far from the track, so when we parked up we could easily spot the entry.
It's a very cool entry to the track, as far as entries go, as we got to walk through an old miner's tail-race tunnel, which is a tunnel that has been hand carved by miners back in the goldrush days on the West Coast. Even though the tunnel is now covered in moss, you can actually still see all the pickaxe marks on the sides and roof of the tunnel, which is super impressive to think that it was all done by hand! We found that there was enough light in the tunnel to make it through to the other end, but I did use my phone torch in the middle section just in case.
The West Coast has a huge gold mining history and this walk tells a lot of stories. You can also gold pan in loads of creeks and rivers on the West Coast and find alluvial gold! We had been gold panning at Shamrock Creek in Goldsborough the day before and it's not too far from the Tunnel Terrace Track. We didn't find any gold but it was still loads of fun! We got our gold pan from Shantytown in Greymouth and we reckon it's so worth getting one to try your luck as it's a lot of fun, especially for the kids to try it out.
The rainforests in Hokitika aren't as lush as the ones further south in Franz Josef or Fox Glacier, but they're still thriving with life due to the high amount of rainfall the region gets. We enjoyed the peaceful walk through the forest and noticed subtle signs of past gold mining here. The track was really easy with some parts gravel, some parts boardwalk and there were also a few stairs which weren't difficult.
It's a very cool entry to the track, as far as entries go, as we got to walk through an old miner's tail-race tunnel, which is a tunnel that has been hand carved by miners back in the goldrush days on the West Coast. Even though the tunnel is now covered in moss, you can actually still see all the pickaxe marks on the sides and roof of the tunnel, which is super impressive to think that it was all done by hand! We found that there was enough light in the tunnel to make it through to the other end, but I did use my phone torch in the middle section just in case.
The West Coast has a huge gold mining history and this walk tells a lot of stories. You can also gold pan in loads of creeks and rivers on the West Coast and find alluvial gold! We had been gold panning at Shamrock Creek in Goldsborough the day before and it's not too far from the Tunnel Terrace Track. We didn't find any gold but it was still loads of fun! We got our gold pan from Shantytown in Greymouth and we reckon it's so worth getting one to try your luck as it's a lot of fun, especially for the kids to try it out.
The rainforests in Hokitika aren't as lush as the ones further south in Franz Josef or Fox Glacier, but they're still thriving with life due to the high amount of rainfall the region gets. We enjoyed the peaceful walk through the forest and noticed subtle signs of past gold mining here. The track was really easy with some parts gravel, some parts boardwalk and there were also a few stairs which weren't difficult.
These rocks are most likely tailings, from the gold mining activity that went on in the past
Stick To The Track
At certain points along the track, you can see into the old tunnels and there is one at the bottom of the stairs that doesn't have a 'beware' or 'no entry' sign, so I we thought this one may be ok to explore.... but I'm not 100% sure and we didn't have a torch with us, so we didn't go in and explore. One important thing to note about this track, is that it's really important to stay on the path as there are historic mine shafts scattered through the bush (no one wants to be falling down one of those!) so who knows if this tunnel is actually ok or not.
The track used to be a loop track, which took you through a second miner's tunnel and out onto the road but due to rockfall in this second tunnel, it's not closed. I'm not sure if it will reopen one day but it's not a super popular track that brings in thousands of tourists each year so who knows. For now, it's a there and back track... sort of... because once we got to the second tunnel at the end which is usually the exit, there was a detour sign telling us to follow the orange markers. The girls thought this was a really fun task and we let them lead the way until we got back on the track.
We saw a few cheeky fantails on the track which loved flittering about and showing us the way and then following us for a while. We see them a lot on walks and hikes around New Zealand and they are super cute and playful! The fantail's name in Te Reo Maori is Piwakawaka and they are easy to spot with their tails that look like a fan.
The track used to be a loop track, which took you through a second miner's tunnel and out onto the road but due to rockfall in this second tunnel, it's not closed. I'm not sure if it will reopen one day but it's not a super popular track that brings in thousands of tourists each year so who knows. For now, it's a there and back track... sort of... because once we got to the second tunnel at the end which is usually the exit, there was a detour sign telling us to follow the orange markers. The girls thought this was a really fun task and we let them lead the way until we got back on the track.
We saw a few cheeky fantails on the track which loved flittering about and showing us the way and then following us for a while. We see them a lot on walks and hikes around New Zealand and they are super cute and playful! The fantail's name in Te Reo Maori is Piwakawaka and they are easy to spot with their tails that look like a fan.
The 2nd tunnel that's not closed due to rockfall and it being unsafe
A cute fantail that was following us along the track
Know Before You Go
- It's really important to stay on the track as there are historic mine shafts scattered through the bush
- This is a 20-minute track (possibly a bit longer due to the 2nd tunnel being closed)
- There is one tunnel on the track that you need to walk through twice, as it's the entry and exit
- We didn't need a torch for the entry/exit tunnel but I did use my phone torch to see in the middle of the tunnel just in case
- Look out for signs of gold mining history along the way
- This track is dog friendly
- There are no toilets here
How To Get To The Tunnel Terrace Walk In Hokitika
The Tunnel Terrace Track is on Stafford Loop Road in Goldsborough, near Hokitika. There is a small carpark with enough room for a few cars and the track starts up the road a little bit on the other side of the road. Click here for the location on Google Maps.
Conclusion
The Tunnel Terrace Track in Hokitika is a pretty chill walk. It's not the most mind-blowing thing on the West Coast, but it's cool if you're into tunnels and a bit of gold mining history. It takes about 20 minutes – perfect if you just want a quick leg stretch. And, you know, tunnels are kind of awesome, right?
After the track, we recommend trying your luck with gold panning at Shamrock Creek in Goldsborough. You can pick up a gold pan from Shantytown in Greymouth (that's where we got ours from) or ask a local if there's anywhere in Hokitika to buy one from.
After the track, we recommend trying your luck with gold panning at Shamrock Creek in Goldsborough. You can pick up a gold pan from Shantytown in Greymouth (that's where we got ours from) or ask a local if there's anywhere in Hokitika to buy one from.
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