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COLLINS DRIVE TUNNEL…
complete with glow worms!
Decision time at the west portal – continue on to a
longer trek and the lookout – or return back through
the tunnel? Bring a torch!
A flash photo inside a portion of Collins Drive tunnel
shows a bend that obscures the tunnel’s exit portal.
Gone are the slippery wooden planks on the floor,
replaced with more stable rubber mats.
– PHOTOS BY NZ FRENZY
This long tunnel provides an opportunity to
experience a real underground mine system.
‘Drive’ in this case does not refer to a street or
road, but the fact that miners ‘drove’ through
this hill of rock in search of a quartz reef with
payable ore. Sadly, the massive effort proved to
be fruitless.
Although the Collins Drive tunnel has been
refurbished and the
floor ‘mud-proofed’,
watch for places with
low headroom, dripping
water, wandering wetas
and glow worms.
(A DOC sign even
recommends a hardhat.)
Dangerous shafts have
been boarded up although you might get a peek
through the cracks at some rusty relics inside.
There is a major curve halfway in (shown above)
that hides the proverbial ‘light at the end of...’, so
bring a strong torch with fresh batteries. It takes
Listed as first in Top 5 Hidden Hiking Trails in the Coromandel by ‘Walking Legends’, is Collins
Drive Tunnel in the Broken Hills Recreation Area. “It is one of the longest abandoned gold
mining tunnels you can still walk through – 500m long and pitch black. Lasting approximately 15
minutes, you will need a torch – but turn it off near the entrance and exit to see glow worms!”
–
about 15min to get through. You may choose to
return via the tunnel or continue the long steep
trek to Lookout Point along the Main Range
Track. If you choose to do the entire trails’ loop,
expect a hike of about 7km – some 3-plus total
trek hours.
Note: There are no public toilets in this trail system.
“It is one of
the longest
abandoned gold
mining tunnels
you can still
walk through …”
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