Karangahake Gorge

The Ohinemuri River cuts a narrow gorge between Paeroa and Waihi, and from the 1870s the quartz reefs in its walls were mined hard for gold and silver. What survives is industrial rather than picturesque: concrete foundations, kilns and terraces of the Victoria Battery at Waikino, where ore was crushed and treated; tunnels driven into the rock; and tramway benches now used as walking tracks. The best known route is the Windows Walk, which follows a mining tunnel with openings cut through the cliff face, each one framing the river far below. A long disused rail tunnel and a series of swing bridges link the tracks. Bring a torch, because none of the tunnels are lit.

What you actually see

• The Windows Walk - a tunnel route with openings cut through the rock above the river.
• Victoria Battery - concrete foundations and kilns of the ore treatment plant at Waikino.
• The rail tunnel - a long straight disused tunnel now walked and cycled end to end.
• The swing bridges - footbridges crossing the Ohinemuri between the tracks.

When to go

Dry spells are essential: the tracks flood and close after heavy rain and the tunnels are unpleasant when water is running through them. Summer weekends are busy with families on the shorter loops, while weekday mornings are quiet. Allow half a day for the Windows Walk and the battery together. Sandflies are worst near the water in still weather.

Honest expectations

The tunnels are genuinely dark, wet and uneven underfoot, and a phone torch is barely adequate. The Windows Walk has drops with basic railings and is a poor choice for small children or anyone unsteady. The ruins are concrete and rusted steel rather than romantic stonework, so the appeal is industrial history rather than beauty. Track closures after rain are frequent and not always signposted from the highway.

Nearby

Waihi's open pit lookout and the Hauraki Rail Trail run straight on from the gorge.