Hello and welcome! I'm an over fifty menopausal woman with a reasonable fitness level. I wouldn't say I'm unfit but I'm also not going to run any marathons anytime soon! I have short skinny legs so I figure this means I have to take more steps than a long legged person haha. But I'm very grateful for my little legs as they have taken me on a lot of hiking and photography adventures. So basically what I'm saying is, if I can do it then so can you :)
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Ross Historic Goldfields Walk, West Coast, South Island, New Zealand
I had earmarked the little township of Ross on the West Coast as a picnic lunchspot on the way back to Hokitika from Fox Glacier. Regrettably I had done zero research for Ross so although there were some pleasant surprises, I also know there was a lot that we missed out on seeing. So note to self: ALWAYS do research!!
Ross is a small gold mining town established in the 1860s, during the West Coast Gold Rush. It is one of those tiny New Zealand towns that if you blink you will miss it! We needed a cuppa and something to eat so we drove off State Highway 6 onto Grimmond Ave to park by the lake and the Chinese Garden.
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The Chinese Gold Miners Memorial Gardens were established to acknowledge the Chinese pioneer gold miners who lived and worked in Ross, from 1872 to the early 1900’s.
Sadly the water level of the lake had risen to cover most of the garden area and I believe this was going to be an ongoing issue in the future. On a positive note, there were heaps of ducks here having a great time!
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| The mist and stillness kinda gave me 'Twilight' vibes haha |
After eating and on our quest to find a toilet, we stumbled across the Ross Goldfields Information & Heritage Centre on Aylmer St. It was very grey and wet outside so we thought why not pop into the dry for a quick look. Well, it was a wee hidden treasure!
The building itself used to be the Bank of New South Wales and inside were photos and information on how the mining had an effect on the town and its environment. I loved the little miniature replicas of the houses in the village. And also the replica of NZ’s largest gold nugget ‘The Honourable Roddy’, which was uncovered at Ross in 1909.The information centre host was a lovely fellow but it was obvious that, due to the pandemic, he hadn't seen many tourists to talk to. He talked A LOT and so I felt rude turning away from him to look at the exhibitions to read all the information. That was a shame.
As we left he recommended the Historic Goldfields walk. When I said it's raining and too wet, he poohed poohed me and said "you East Coasters don't know what rain is, that's not RAIN". Right. Ok then. Best we do this walk then just to prove to him how hardy we were. (famous last words)
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| Even in the rain it looks pretty |
There were good information boards at the start of the track which I wish I had taken the time to stop and read just to check what there was to see on the trail.
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The start of the track was an easy gravel road (Mt Greenland Rd) surrounded by beautiful green bush and ferns (my favourite!).
The river was running along the left of the road and at times there was a clearing and a path down to the river. We popped down and had a bit of a fossick around for gold in the water and on the riverbed but alas no luck. :)
Eventually we were directed by a sign (no photo sorry!) to turn right onto a track winding through the bush. I loved the fern canopies and I was really enjoying this walk despite the drizzle.
Along the way there was a waterwheel and some other old relics and water pipes. Plus there were a few tunnels where the miners had dug through searching for gold.The track wasn't too steep but it did climb steadily higher. It was well maintained and not slippery despite the rain. Unfortunately the higher we went the heavier the rain came down.The rain got so heavy that I became worried about how wet my camera was getting so I tucked it away underneath my raincoat. Then I put my head down and concentrated on trudging my way to the end of the track!
Eventually we came out of the bush into a clearing at the old Ross Historic Cemetery. It was raining too heavily to hang about and look at the gravestones. I bet they told a few sad stories of mining accidents from the Gold Rush days.
I could imagine there would be some spectacular views from here of the town of Ross and out to the Tasman Sea. I took out my camera for these two quick shots then tucked it back into my coat to protect it from the rain.
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The track finished at the top end of St James Street which took us back to the car park by the toilets and the Information Centre. As we approached the old water tower we noticed the old miners cottage (de Bakker Cottage) had an Open sign on it so we popped in for a look. And then we also went across Bold St to look at the old Ross Goal (Jail).
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The gold miners cottage was built in 1885 and had been restored with authentic materials. Inside the cottage was a good example of what a home would have looked like in the peak of the Gold Rush and included displays of photographs and documentation.
By now I was absolutely drenched. My amazing coat had kept my upper body dry but my legs and lower body were soaked right through to my knickers! There's nothing worse than wearing glasses when it's raining, I could hardly see a thing. So I was in a really bad mood haha.
It took a lot for me not to give that information centre man a good talking to but I didn't want to prove to him that I couldn't hack a 'little bit' of West Coast rain!!
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By now I was absolutely drenched. My amazing coat had kept my upper body dry but my legs and lower body were soaked right through to my knickers! There's nothing worse than wearing glasses when it's raining, I could hardly see a thing. So I was in a really bad mood haha.
It took a lot for me not to give that information centre man a good talking to but I didn't want to prove to him that I couldn't hack a 'little bit' of West Coast rain!!
I am glad we walked the track despite the rain and my mental unpreparedness. It was a nice loop track to walk with a semi steep incline, beautiful surrounding bush and an awesome lookout point. There was also a replica of a miner's hut along the way which I missed thanks to the rain.
I would recommend exploring if you have time and particularly if you enjoy the history of the Gold Rush era. :)
| If you are interested in the history of the Ross township then I recommend visiting the Ross Gold Town website. |
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My Do's and Don'ts
- Do stop in Ross if you're on the West Coast. You don't have to do the hike. Just call into the Ross Goldfields Information & Heritage Centre for a look and have a chat with the host.
- Don't let the host talk you into doing the walk if it's raining haha
- Do take your time to read the information boards. And to look at all the old relics and the replica of the miner's hut.
- Don't wear glasses on the hike if it's raining (haha it's a joke, I know some people don't have a choice. I personally should have popped my contact lenses in!)
- Do have a look at de Bakker cottage and the Old Ross Goal (Jail). And if you have time walk the 10 mins up St James Street to the Ross Historic Cemetery (as an alternative to doing the whole hike)
- Don't forget to take your sense of humour if you do happen to get caught in the rain :)
~ PLEASE NOTE: We walked this track in September 2021 so there may be some changes to how I have described it here. ~
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Thank you for taking the time to read about this hike. Check out my other blog posts HERE. I'd love you to share this post and if you use my photos, all I ask is that you credit me please :)
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