Karangahake Gorge Walkway - 25/5/2015

By Maurice Boniface

The weather report for Monday was for and made it into a walkway and then up to another waterfall but we didn’t go showers clearing. I went to Wesley upgraded it to a cycleway as well. We up there either. A little further along and went with Phillip and Isabel in their came to a new pedestrian suspension was another little waterfall coming car while Murray and Meriel took Mon- bridge across the river. It is a Memorial down the steep cliff beside the walk- ica with them. We drove through Bridge commissioned by the way. We passed through a cutting that and went to the car park near Liaison Society to commemorate the was made for the railway and there the Waikino Railway Station. It had bridge and riverside village destroyed was a big lump of rock and earth on rained on and off on our way there and in the 1981 flood. We passed Marker the track that had fallen down from the it was drizzling a little when we arrived, No. 13 for the Waihi Cycle cliff above. Just as well we weren’t but stopped as we were putting our Track so they must be there to make there when it came down! We eventu- boots and jackets on. We decided to sure that cyclists are on the right track, ally came to the bridge that goes set off and if the rain didn’t clear we because they do go to different plac- across the and on the would return around and come es. A ute passed us going towards the other side of it is the old railway tunnel back. However it stayed fine except Victoria Battery. Next we came across that the trains used to go through. My for a few drops of rain between the some chooks on the side of the track. I family used to come up to our uncle’s sunshine every now and then. We suppose they were hoping for a farm in the when we went through the tunnel under the feed. We came to the road that goes were young and we would travel on the highway and across the pedestrian up past the Owharoa Falls just up the Taneatua Express from Hamilton to bridge over the Ohinemuri Riv- hill from here (there is a Bistro up there Edgecumbe so we would come er. There were some ducks in the river too). We decided not to go up there through this tunnel in the steam and we noticed the new cycleway they now, but crossed the road after a big train. You had to make sure that all have built from Waihi. It connects with truck went past. We crossed a bridge the windows were closed, otherwise the Gorge Walkway at the end of the over the Falls Stream and continued the smoke came in from the engine, bridge and the Walkway is now a com- along the walkway beside the riv- because it is a kilometre long! The bined walk and cycleway which goes er. We saw some lovely Cabbage tunnel is dead straight and you can through to Paeroa. We passed a rusty Trees beside the river and a brightly see daylight at the other end. It is cow catcher off the front of an old rail- coloured Kingfisher perched on a lined with bricks but in some places way engine, then we came to the site fence in the paddock by the walk- water drips through the bricks onto of the Victoria Battery. All the ore from way. Across the river on the highway your head! There are lights in the roof the mines under Waihi used to be there were some chaps working on the but quite a few of them weren’t work- railed to here where it was crushed road and there was a stream of cars ing, but fortunately we had a couple of and the gold and silver was extract- and trucks held up by the works. Quite torches to show the way in the dark ed. All that is left is the concrete part a few of the trees beside the river were spots. I will attach a photo of the of the works, the buildings have all dressed up in their autumn leaves and group going in. You can see some of disappeared, but there are piles of looked very colourful. By now it was the lights and daylight at the other some of the equipment that they used ten o’clock so we looked for a nice end. There was a steady wind blowing and there is a Museum and a cover place to sit for morning tea, which we through it all the way. They have im- over the pits where they cooked the found at a spot in the sun and looking proved the floor because cyclists come ore. We looked at the photos of what it over the river. Nearby was a Gingko through as well. When you get to the looked like a hundred years ago then Tree whose leaves had turned a bright other end you go straight onto a bridge moved on. We came out the gate and yellow. which goes above the highway then onto the Walkway which is where the over the river. Underneath the river trains used to come through the gorge We set off again along the walkway part is a vehicle bridge so cars can go until the tunnel under the Kaimais was and after a while came to a side track to the houses that are over built. They have taken up the rail lines there. There used to be a public hall there too. We went onto the bridge way bridge and crossed the swing pack and he said ‘Everything’! We had and found that they had scaffolding on bridge over the thought that we would go and look at the road bridge below so they must be which joins the Ohinemuri at this point. the Owharoa Falls on the way back but painting or something. There were We passed the turnoff to the Windows it started to look as though it could rain road works on the highway and there which are closed for repairs just so we kept going. Neither did we stop was a queue of cars held up there now. We passed the workings for the at the Victoria Battery to look at some too. Over on the other side we could Woodstock Battery then the track goes of the things of interest there. We con- see some of the concrete and stone up and down quite a bit and is very tinued back across the bridge to the

walls from the Crown Mines pro- narrow in parts. They have concreted Waikino railway station and the car cessing plant which was built there in parts of the track where it gets park where our cars were. When we 1893. We had a comfort stop then wet. You get some great views of the got there it started to rain so we had to went along the track on the other side. river and the road on the other side as get in the cars to take off our boots. I Meriel found a giant worm which she the gorge is very narrow along had rung June, who used to come held up for me to photograph. We here. Eventually we got back to the tramping with us years ago with her came to where there is a swing bridge bridge we went on into the tunnel, so husband Sig. She is in a retirement over the river to the car park, but we we had completed the loop. We went village in Waihi because she has a son stopped at a little shelter on this side back the way we had come. Part way and daughter in this area on and decided to have our lunch here. along we came to some trees which farms. She had decided not to come There were several cut-outs of miners had two Wood Pigeons (Kereru) and but invited us to her place for afternoon and one didn’t have a head so you several Tuis. I will attach a photo of a tea. I rang her and she said that she could put your head there for a photo Kereru. He looks nice and fat. One of had the cups out and the jug ready to so Phillip put his there for me to photo- the DOC workers once told us that the boil, so we drove to her place and had graph and Murray did some too. I Maoris liked to wait until they had had a lovely time with her, talking about her sent my texts and got several replies. I a feed of Miro berries then cook them family and old times when they used to kept losing my sandwiches in my pack – stuffed pigeon! We had met several come tramping with us. After a very which amused everyone for a while, cyclists on the track during the day and pleasant hour we set off for especially when I asked Isabel if she people walking their dogs. We also home. When we got near Katikati it had them! met a chap with a big pack on his back started to hail so we were glad that we who was going from Waihi to Karan- were in the cars! We set off again back towards the rail- gahake. I asked him what was in his