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Discover Hauraki Gold

A DAY-LONG FUN TOUR RE-TRACING THE HISTORIC GOLD TRAILS IN WAIHI AND THE STUNNING KARANGAHAKE GORGE.

YOUR PACKAGE INCLUDES
  • WAIHI GOLD EXPERIENCE ENTRY
  • GOLDFIELDS HERITAGE RAILWAY TRIP
  • BIKE HIRE TO CYCLE THE HAURAKI RAIL TRAIL.
INCLUDED WITH YOUR TICKET
  • Waihi Gold Experience entry.
  • Bike hire, helmet and trail guide.
  • Free coffee voucher.
  • Goldfields Railway ticket.

Adults: $99 and Children U/15: $69
Excursions start and end at the Gold Discovery Centre / isite (126 Seddon St, Waihi).

TOUR OVERVIEW
  • Step into the life of a pioneering gold miner at the Waihi Gold Experience.
  • Ride the Goldfields Railway on the historic train from Waihi Station to Waikino Station.
  • Bike the wonder section of the Karangahake Gorge among the relics of gold fever.
  • Re-trace your route back to Waihi on the Hauraki Rail Trail.

Waihi Gold Experience
Arrive at the Gold Discovery Centre in the morning where your journey will begin with an enlightening visit to the Waihi Gold Experience. This award-winning interactive experience will set the scene for your discovery of Waihi's fascinating 140-year quest for gold.

Goldfields Heritage Railway
After finishing the Gold Experience, you will be fitted out with all your biking adventure needs, including your personal trail guide. Modern, good quality, and well-maintained bikes and e-bikes are available, and helmets and bike locks are supplied for your safety and security.
A short bike ride to historic Waihi Railway Station warms you up before you and your bikes board the historic Goldfields Railway. A relaxing train journey winds its way riverside through farming country and delivers you to Waikino Railway Station at the eastern end of the Karangahake Gorge.

Explore the Gorge
When you arrive at Waikino, unload your bike from the train and you’re ready to start cycling again
and exploring the stunning Karangahake Gorge.
The Gorge area has a very strong connection with the Waihi gold mining story and has a great collection of relics, and a rich depth of stories to share.
Your bike journey will follow the Hauraki Rail Trail (one of the easiest cycle trails in the country) into the Gorge. As a Grade One cycle trail, it's suitable for most fitness levels and cycling skills, and it boasts some of the area's best scenery.
As you follow the Rail Trail you will enjoy a wide range of views and heritage, including Victoria Battery, Owharoa Falls, the 1 km long brick-lined train tunnel, the 'Windows' and 'Crown Tramway' walks, and much more depending on your itinerary and schedule.

The Return Trip
Once your exploration activities are complete, take the gentle ride back to Waihi and the Gold Discovery Centre to return your bikes. You’ll return with a feeling of satisfaction for your efforts, and you will understand a lot more about Waihi's 140 year quest for gold!

Add a night (or two) stay to make the most of all there is to see and do in this rich part of Southern Coromandel. There are lots of options available - ask at the Waihi isite.

TOUR BACKGROUND

Your Discover Hauraki Gold tour will unwrap Waihi's unique gold story, from the early pioneering days through to modern-day mining operations.
The discovery of gold-bearing quartz on Pukewa (Martha Hill) in 1878 started a journey that now spans three centuries.
Just a few years after it's discovery, Martha Mine became one the most important and productive gold mines in the world, and Waihi grew into a bustling, colourful community on the back of this pioneering industry.
Gold mining still plays an important role in the town today. The Martha Mine Open Pit is just metres from the town centre and is easily accessible to the many thousands of visitors who take the opportunity to peer hundreds of metres down into the chasm each year.