The Blackwater shaft 563Mt deep was sunk in 1906
Quick Facts about this walk
- Location: South Island NZ
- Distance: 5 km
- Time needed: 2 Hours
- Difficulty: Easy
- Wheelchair Access: No
- Route: Round Trip
- Elevation: 550m
- Wet Feet: No
- Toilets: Yes
- Dogs: Yes
- Mobile Coverage: Yes
- Last Updated: November, 2019
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Summary points about this walk
Points of interest along the walk
Point 1: The Blackwater shaft
The 13 Km drive up to the Blackwater Shaft is a little narrow but well worth the drive. I parked my 11 Mt truck on the old bowling green for three day or you can park in front of the day shelter were the toilets and water is situated
You can spend the whole day just walking around the village reading the information sign post stuck in front of the old bakers, bank, butcher, barber, dressmaker, shop Ect Ect.
As for the walks you will need two more days. To get to the start of the snowy river track read the map by the day shelter.
Point 2: The Snowy River Battery
At the start of the track you will walk past the return track, there is a sign pointing to the battery. From there just follow the track down to the snowy river battery. you will also pass a turn off on the left. This leads to No 2 Level were horses brought out the ore from the Backwater Mine and on it’s way to the snowy river battery via the incline tramway
Point 3: The Waiuta Power House
When we left the snowy Battery we just follow the old water race for 40 minutes all the way down river to the Waiuta Power House, this is the most interesting section of the walk.
We keep stoping to have a look into the water race tunnels Ect. One of the tunnels was to long for use to see through to the other end. In all the Waiuta Power House track was very enjoyable walk along the river bank plus we were lucky to be shaded from hot sun, 19 degrees, by the tall black beech trees. 30 minutes into the walk you turn off to the left. Turning to the right would take us back to Waiuta and the truck. There was not a lot left of the old Snowy power House but it was enough to get an idea of how it all worked, the concrete foundation came in handy for a good seat and coffee table.
From the Power station we had to double back 10 minutes to the waiuta turn off. from there on, it is all up hill. About half way along the track we could look back down the valley to the Snowy River. Within 35 minutes we were back at the truck for a hot shower and a hot cup of freshly made plunger coffee.
