waiuta gold mine

Waiuta Gold Mine

By Tui

The beginning

In 1905 as prospectors rummaged through the Blackwater Stream they found a reef of gold which was found on King Edward VII birthday, which is why they called it Birthday Reef. Ghost town, Waiuta, was once a productive gold town but was abandoned and left for the ghost to haunt it.

About Waiuta

In 1905, the gold was discovered and after a while in 1908, the Blackwater Shaft was open so in 1930 the population of the gold town grew to the maximum of 600 people. After a few years the Blackwater mine collapsed due to poor construction of the mine.

How they get the gold

Miners had to dig out the quartz that beheld gold. They drilled shot holes into the reef of quartz and filled the holes with explosives so the quartz was small enough to be put into wagons. Because the quartz reef was so thin, miners were working in a confined place.

The end

Waiuta is now an overgrown place with remains of chimneys and rusty old bits of metal. You can still go there and enjoy the amazing Big River Hut tramp.