Imagine getting to your job in coal wagons from the Ngakawau settlement through dense bush, on a narrow railway track to a coal mine in the middle of nowhere. The Charming Creek Walkway (NORTH) follows the abandoned railway giving visitors a taste of hardy souls who worked in this remote West Coast region. Charming Creek walk wends its way through pristine native lowland forest with the Ngakawau River bubbling by the side for long sections.
Highlights
- Heritage relics from a coal mining past, Old Mumms timber mill, coal mines, rusting steam boilers, brick chimney and coal miner’s huts
- Suspension bridge over fast flowing West Coast rivers
- Mangantini waterfalls
Things to do on this walk include a walk through a breathtaking mountain gorge draped in dense lowland forest, following a former railway line complete with mossy tunnels and the Ngakawau River Suspension bridge. There are unfolding glimpses of the waterfall. It is your own film script being unravelled as you walk the Charming Creek walkway.
- Length: 5.4 km
- Duration: 4 – 6 hours
For tips on recommended clothing and supplies check South Island ultimate day walks, what to wear, supplies and fitness required. Remember to check the local weather report before departing. Learn more from Department of Conservation resource, Charming Creek North Walkway.
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