Waihi Gold Discovery Experience
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Port
Tauranga (Rotorua), New Zealand
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$239.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 7¼ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Waihi has been famous for its gold since 1878 and it has a fascinating story to tell. Find out about some of the intriguing characters and events that have shaped the social and industrial landscape of this resilient little town over the past 140 years. Travel an hour from Tauranga Port to Waihi. You will be welcomed by a friendly local host over morning tea at the charming Sterling Hotel, where some of the early characters and stories will be introduced.
Enjoy an informative tour of Waihi's iconic Cornish Pumphouse before embarking on an exclusive "inside the fence" tour of the massive Martha Gold Mine. The mining operations are normally off-limits to the public; however, you will step inside the mine security fence to experience modern-day gold mining up close.
Board the Goldfields Heritage Railway for a trip into yesteryear carrying a homemade brown-bag lunch crafted just for you. Travel back in time as you enjoy a ride on this heritage train and eat your lunch along the way. The journey between Waikino and Waihi provides you with an experience rich in history, including historic gold mining which shaped much of this part of the Southern Coromandel region.
A final highlight of the day is a visit to the award-winning Gold Discovery Center. In this modern, interactive visitor attraction, the complete Waihi story will unfold before you. You are immersed in interactive and engaging activities -- push hard against an air-leg drill that will shake your bones, just like a real drill; lean on a plunger to trigger a simulated explosion down in the gold mine; or try to beat the shady dealer at a game of two-up. The ghost theatre, set in colonial Waihi, is unlike any other -- the 'actors' are 3D holograms in a story inspired by real local characters. Get to know these townsfolk as they share their tales of love, war and social change in early Waihi.
Notes:
Travel time to Waihi is approximately an hour each way. Wear comfortable walking shoes.