Tunnel Terrace Walk

Tunnel Terrace Walk

Goldsborough

11 Rankers Reviews

1 Face-to-Face

2 Hokitika

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Marios Gavalas's avatar

Marios Gavalas

Author And Researcher

Nau mai, haere mai

Nau mai, haere mai

I'm Marios, delivering the best of Aotearoa's nature walks to your device.

I've personally walked hundreds of New Zealand's tracks and spent months in libraries uncovering interesting information on New Zealand/Aotearoa. And you'll find a slice of that research on this page - enjoy!

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Information

Tunnel Terrace Walk

700 m return | 20 minutes return

A hidden world of the mining days only accessible via miners tunnels.

Walking Track

Access

If coming from Dillmanstown,the carpark is signposted on the left, 1.5 km from Goldsborough camping area and 11 km from SH 73.

Or if coming from Stafford, 6.3 km from SH6 on the Stafford Loop Road.

Track

Enter through the tunnel opposite the parking area into a world of terraces, tailings and mining detritus. There is a section of impressive trackwork using the tailings boulders, some of which are slippery.

Exit through another tunnel and follow the road 100 m back to the carpark.

European History

Unsurprisingly, with a name like Goldsborough, it was gold which first attracted settlement. First claims were pegged in 1864, the coast’s second goldfield. By October 1866 over 7000 people had arrived in town, so the town had to be built. Butchers, bakers, hotels, stores for mining provision and much more sprang up almost overnight. This was the Wild West New Zealand style. Same alcohol fuelled fights, swearing and generally antisocial behaviour from unmarried men with their sights on quick riches.

Over 200 horses were employed to pack provisions from Hokitika along the rough and muddy bush tracks. Travel was a nightmare, with swollen rivers, muddy tracks and dense forest to slash.

Over the years returns were insufficient and many left. The town gentrified, and those who stayed made a small but reasonable living off the gold. The last residents only left in the 1950s.

Details

Feature Value Info

Organisation

DOC West Coast

Central government organisation

Location

South IslandWest CoastHokitika

Categories

  • Activity__walking_and_trekkingWalking
  • Free

Directions

To Coordinates

Coordinates

-42.6689318404894

171.104986572266

Latitude
-42.6689318404894
Longitude
171.104986572266

Nearby

Reviews

    • Nearby to the nice DOC campground.
    • Great place to stay we really enjoyed the walk .
    • September 2017...
    • What an unexpected delight.
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    10/10 9
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  • 5.0/5

    Great place to stay we really enjoyed the walk .

    As we stayed at a lot of doc sites this summer we notice alot of tourists dont pay any camp fees, its about time something was done to enforce this. Would be a shame for doc to close them down.

    Reviewed almost 5 years ago

    Rod's avatar

    Rod

  • 5.0/5

    Like a little fary take forest - moss has grown everywhere.

    It made us feel very at peace.

    Walk takes about 15-20min

    Reviewed almost 5 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    What an unexpected delight.

    From the car park you go through a tunnel and come out in a different world, walking though the thick forest seemingly cut off from the rest of the world. The path takes you in a loop that ends up at another tunnel back on to the road (about 5 mins walk from the carpark/start).

    Reviewed almost 5 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Our 2nd great grandfather Irishman Patrick Kenny and his son William mined here, and gave their address as Tunnel Terrace in the electoral rolls from about 1875.

    It was also Patrick's address on his death in 1907. The family is buried in the Old Stafford Cemetery nearby. An atmospheric walk which we really enjoyed, but it must have been pretty grim living conditions for those gold miners.

    Reviewed over 4 years ago and experienced in August 2018

  • 4.5/5

    Three tunnels on a loop-bushwalk (20min) with amazing diversity on such a short walk.

    It's a little precious hobbittrail. Easy pathway with rocks, wood, slighty muddy. You either return at the end or walk 100 meters back to the carpark. Challenge: Find the exit to the second tunnel on this road. Best part: no tourists. Worth the detour.

    Reviewed almost 6 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Really nice track, a little bit short but nice and uncrowded.

    Would come again

    Reviewed almost 6 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    September 2017...

    a great short walk through beautiful nature and so many many different green tones... a sweet Must Do in this area!!!

    Reviewed about 7 years ago

  • 4.0/5

    Really awesome short walk, it seems forgotten by all other people and covered in moss!

    you start and finish in the man-made tunnels. If you take a torch, you can see the marks from where it was mined. Would be even better if the DOC put some information about the area.

    Reviewed almost 10 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Very Nice shorts Walk in old rainforest like Wood.

    We loved that it started and ended in old golddigger tunnels.

    Reviewed almost 11 years ago

    DENMARK
    B D's avatar

    B D

  • 5.0/5

    Nearby to the nice DOC campground.

    Great little loop walk that nobody seems to know about--bring a headlamp though...and water sandals are best for the wet tunnels.

    Reviewed almost 13 years ago

  • 5.0/5

    Fantastic short walk through amazing tunnels built by the gold miners.

    Really great family walk, perhaps take a torch to appreciate feat.

    Reviewed over 14 years ago and experienced in January 2010