I hiked through an abandoned gold mine from the 1800s in New Zealand and lived to tell the tale — here's what I saw

Talia LakritzJul 31, 2020, 21:56 IST

An abandoned railway.Talia Lakritz/Insider

Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway in Karangahake, New Zealand, follows an old railway line between Paeroa and Waihi.
The trails also provide access to a historic abandoned gold mine with pitch-black tunnels and train tracks to nowhere.
The low-impact hike is about two hours from Auckland.

On a trip to New Zealand last year, our group stopped about halfway through the drive back to the airport to stretch our legs on a hike. It turned out to be one of the most memorable stops on our trip.

About two hours outside of Auckland, Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway in Karangahake, New Zealand, used to be a gold mine in the late 1800s through the early 1900s. Today, it's an eerie hiking spot complete with rusty mining equipment, pitch-black tunnels, and abandoned train tracks to nowhere.

Take a look inside this abandoned gold mine on New Zealand's north island.

To enter the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway, we crossed a bridge over the Ohinemuri River.

The entrance to the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

The trails were lined with informational plaques featuring historic photos of the now-abandoned mine.

Old photos of the mine. Talia Lakritz/Insider

The placards explained how miners would dig holes in the ground to roast the ore in order to burn off impurities and harvest more gold.

A plaque explaining woodstock ore kilns. Talia Lakritz/Insider

Some remnants of the mining town remain.

Wooden beams through a tunnel. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

Some of the old railways along the Rail Tunnel Loop still contain mining carts.

An abandoned mining cart. Talia Lakritz/Insider

They now serve as a hiking trail.

An abandoned railway. Talia Lakritz/Insider

Sections of the old tracks end abruptly, obscured by dirt and shrubbery.

An old railway track. Talia Lakritz/Insider

The empty tracks leading into a thick forest made for an eerie hike.

The railway to nowhere. Talia Lakritz/Insider

When we followed the tracks to the mining tunnels, it became clear why the sign at the entrance had advised bringing a flashlight.

Railway tracks leading into a mining tunnel. Talia Lakritz/Insider

They were pitch black.

We needed flashlights. Talia Lakritz/Insider

Using the flashlights from our phones, we explored the passageways where miners had once worked.

Exploring the mining tunnels. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

We were pleasantly surprised to find some of New Zealand's famous glow worms inside the dark tunnels.

Glow worms, also known as arachnocampa luminosa. Talia Lakritz/Insider

We continued zig-zagging through the dark tunnels, occasionally dipping out into the light for stunning views along the Windows Walk.

A view of the gorge from the Windows Walk. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

Not all of the passageways were open to hikers.

A sign warning of danger. Talia Lakritz/Insider

Upon taking a closer look, the tunnels looked too narrow to get very far into.

A blocked-off tunnel. Talia Lakritz/Insider

As we made our way back out and across the bridge, we felt like we'd ventured into an Indiana Jones movie.

Making our way out of the mine. Courtesy of Coren Feldman

Even with the ominous surroundings, the Karangahake Gorge Historic Walkway is a low-impact, family-friendly hike that's worth a visit.

A sweeping view of the entrance to the hike. Talia Lakritz/Insider

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