Distance: 65km, approx. 55 minutes' drive
Waihi is New Zealand's "Heart of Gold". Mining there started in the 1880s. In 1935 New Zealand gold output peaked during the depression, but by the 1950s the mine was struggling financially. In the 1970s and early 1980s the gold price increased. Exploration and prospecting work identified ore that could be profitably exploited through a lower cost mining approach. As a result the mine was reopened as an open pit in 1988. You can walk along the rim, look down the pit, and read about the mine's history and mining techniques on information boards placed at lookout points. Or you can take a guided tour offered through the Gold Discovery Centre. Before scheduled blasting times a siren will be sounded to alert persons of the impending blast. A visito to Waihi and the mine could be part of your trip to the Karangahake Gorge. https://www.waihigold.co.nz/mining/martha-mine/ https://www.golddiscoverycentre.co.nz/ Comments are closed.
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Leave in the morning after a hearty breakfast. Return in the evening and share your day's experiences with us. In between: discover and be delighted. Whichever direction you go, you will be spoilt for choice and stunned with surprise. Archives
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