Hokitika Weekend:I of IV: Ross Water Race Track

A long weekend in the Hokitika Area...

It was Karen's birthday last Wednesday so as a part of the 'weekend of Karen' we planned a trip over to Hokitika on the West Coast of the South Island. We stayed in a nice spot just out of Hokitika and while there went for a number of short and longer walks in the hinterland.

Walking along the Ross Water Race Track, 

I have broken these trips down into a number of posts, I wil add posts as I find time to organise myself. The first place we visited was Ross with the intention of walking the Ross Water Race Track in the hills behind the township.

The Ross Water Race Walkway

Ross is an old gold mining town, they have been taking gold out of the surrounding hills since the 1860's and they still had a working open cast mine here right up to the early 2000's. There are a mess of old mine shafts, pit heads and tunnels but most of the gold was extracted using water sluices. 

For those of you not in the know a water sluice was a series of smaller and smaller pipes that shot water at pressures...this washed gold bearing gravel off hillsides and into filtering systems. Miners around Ross used this system to wrest the gold from the ground. 

Water Sluice in use Otago in the late 1800's

Obviously if you are shooting massive amounts of water at a hill you need massive amounts of water. Mining companies built elaborate aqueducts or water races to carry water from high in the hills to the site of the sluice. 

A box framed water race, the Ross Water Race was mostly earthen

Map: Ross Water Race Track and Ross township

The start of the Ross Water Race Track starts right outside the I-Site in Ross. You can park your car in the large car-park there and follow the signs to the start of the track looking out over Jones Flat, the site of the now defunct strip mine.

The Ross I-Site is also the home of a small historical museum. 

Ross Water Race Track: start of the Track near the I-site

The Ross I-site and visitor center, Ross Water Race Track

Information panel at Ross, Ross Water Race Track

This is also one of the start/finish spots for the West Coast Wilderness Trail, a 139 km long MTB trail between Greymouth and the glacier towns of Franz and Fox. My plan for when I get to old to hump a heavy pack about the place is to take up riding the cycle trails and Im going to get into some sweet kayaking trips. I have the Wilderness Trail on my to do list...

Freeze frame....Jon at the Ross Historical Village...

...and Karen at the Ross historical village

Jones Flat was the site of mining from the 1860's right up to the early 2000's...first as single men panning for gold then sluices and later as the site of one of the last gold dredges in New Zealand. There was a massive open cast mine here the last time I came through in 1999..the dredge is long gone and the mine site has been landscaped and is now a picturesque lake.

Historic note: the biggest nugget of gold ever found in New Zealand came out of Jones Creek...it weighed 9 kg and was named the "Honorable Roddy Nugget" after a local politician. 

Looking down on the new lake at Jones Flat, Ross township

Information panel about Jones Flat, Ross Water Race Track

There are a number of old gold mining relics along this first section of track, a water wheel once used for power generation, water race pipes and a hydraulic water sluice. The track is very nice, well made, benched and easy to walk along.

Vintage water wheel for power, Ross Water Race Track

...a panel explaining why the wheel is there...Ross Water Race Track

Miners once used water sluices in this area...a fast flowing jet or water was directed at gold bearing gravels to wash them down into a filtering sluice and chemical baths. You have to move a massive amount of gravel to make this economical and you also need a massive amount of water. It is also very labor and capital intensive so you need stacks of cash to set it all up...hence the various large mining companies of the era.

Lengths of sluice pipe alongside the Ross Water Race Track

...an area of former sluice operations, Ross Water Race Track

Information panel explaining sluice operations, Ross Water Race Track

...water was the fuel of gold mining using a sluice, Ross Water Race Track...

After 500 meters the track comes out onto Greenland Hill Road which you follow for a couple of hundred meters up hill to the start of the bush track.

Heading up Greenland Hill Road to the start of the Ross Water Race Track

Heading up Greenland Hill Road to the start of the Ross Water Race Track

Heading up Greenland Hill Road to the start of the Ross Water Race Track

Bush to the road edge, the Ross Water Race Track

There is a gold fossicking area on Greenland Hill Road...this is an old open mine permit which allows amateur miners the chance to look for 'the colours' as they used to say. You are legally able to look for gold here..the only stipulation is no mechanical tools allowed.

 A gold pan, pick, shovel and a lot of back breaking work would be needed to find gold. That said a school friend of mine had brothers living over here and they extracted about $10 000-15 000 a year from a similar area near Greymouth....there is literally still '...gold in them thar hills.....'!!!

Gold fossicking area, along the Ross Water Race Track

...much lucre was wrested from this stream, Ross Water Race Track

Most of the water race track is through the bush, as you walk up Greenland Hill you eventually come to the track entrance on the right side of the road. Greenland Hill Road continues in a steeper, rougher form for five more kilometers...supposedly there is a very nice lookout if you are keen on the climb.

Heading into the bush, Ross Water Race Track

Greenland Hill Road continues for 5 more km's...

Mountain Totora trees along Greenland Hill road

You need to stay on the track as this whole area is a dangerous field of old mine shafts, pit heads and steep sided valleys. The whole mountain was a frenzied nexus of mining communities all trying to find their fortunes.

Once the gold was gone Ross was known for timber milling as there were some impressive stands of big native trees in the area. 

Ross Water Race Track: you need to stay on the track through here...

Note the filled in water race to the right, Ross Water Race Track

Karen is on the Ross Water Race Track

The track itself is very nice is is well maintained and very easy to walk along...the ups and downs and narrow bridges mean it is not a good option for prams or wheelchairs.

Ross Water Race Track: nice easy to walk track but not wheelchair easy...

Old water pipes alongside the Ross Water Race Track

The West Coast bush is thick and primordial...all that water and fertile soil means the growth cycle is fast. It is really easy to see why people who get lost over here are often never found. This is some real bush.....

The bush along the Ross Water Race Track is thick...

The water race needed to maintain a fairly even incline so the water would keep flowing. To achieve this the miners built trestle bridges over the smaller gullies and massive wooden trestles to cross larger ravines. To more easily circumvent ridges they would often tunnel through the side of the hill.

There are still a few remnants of these trestles along the track...mostly made of wood but with iron pipes carrying the water.

New bridge alongside old trestle, Ross Water Race Track

Ross Water Race Track: note the tunnel and old trestle for water pipes

Ross Water Race Track: the old trestle is made from raw timber

There are dozens of small tunnels a few or which you can see into. Don't enter any of these tunnels...they are over 150 years old and with all the rain and earthquakes cave-ins are common.

Looking into one of the tunnels along the Ross Water Race Track

Another water race tunnel, Ross Water Race Track

View down into the water race tunnel, Ross Water Race Track

...as you can see the roof of this tunnel has collapsed...they had special teams of water race men who spent their time making repairs to the water race infrastructure...it would have been a hard job...

Lots of tunnels along the Ross Water Race Track:

For the most part the track sidles easily around the side of the hills...there aren't that many view points but the forest is glorious especially after rain. Rain really brings the best out of semi tropical forest like this..when it is dry it looks still and listless...

Typical West Coast Bush along the Ross Water Race Track

Looking out over Jones Creek, Ross Water Race Track

As you can see the structure of the old water race is remarkably well preserved...water is still flowing in many places and it is easy to see how the miners used topography to achieve the best line for their structure.

Water still flows along the Ross Water Race Track

Wet dense forest o the Ross Water Race Track

I really liked this area of ferns on a hillside...I stood and looked at it for about 5 minutes as it is so intricate. There are a lot more ferns on the Coast as they need ample amounts of rain to grow and expand. You have everything from massive tree ferns right down to tiny little ferns growing on the trunks of the moss covered trees. 

Hillside fern nursery along the Ross Water Race Track

He is a place where the soil under the bank has started to erode away...the only thing holding it together are the roots from the ferns and trees on top...

Erosion working on the hillside, Ross Water Race Track

There are a number of seats to rest on, we stopped at one for a rest and snack after walking for about 45 minutes to the high point of the track. We had a visit from a pair of fantails or Piwakawaka they flitted about the place showing off... they must have a nest nearby as this is how they distract predators away from the nest site. 

View down hill from near apex, Ross Water Race Track

..there are a number of benches along the Ross Water Race Track...

Karen walking along the Ross Water Race Track

Ross Water Race Track: a native fantail who was following us...

There are a massive number of native birds in the forest...we saw fantails, kaka, weka, silvereyes, bellbirds and scores of tui (in fact the most I have seen in one place in my life...). In the photo below Karen is taking photos of the belbirds in a tree next to the track. 

Karen is photographing a flock of Bellbirds...Ross Water Race Track

Down through a tree fern grove, Ross Water Race Track

There was an interesting information board about the trestle that once spanned Jone's Creek..it carried the water race to a point on the other side of the valley where they were mining. It looks to be quite an imposing structure, sadly completely gone now probably hauled away for fire wood at some stage.

Jones Creek Fluming trestle, Ross Water Race Track

...the trestle once spanned Jones Creek, Ross Water Race Track

The water race proved to be a handy home for a variety of trees and ground plants many spots were overgrown with vegetation. 

Various trees find a home in the Ross Water Race 

There is an old gold miners cottage about 3/4 of the way around the track, made from wood it is typical of the type of houses the miners would have made for themselves with timber from the forest. It would have been a rough and ready existence...wet, cold, dirty and unhealthy. 

Most of the miners stayed in the area once the gold was gone and some lived to old age still in these primitive structures. This hut was moved from lower down in Jone's Creek to the current site. 

Ross Water Race Track hut, Ross Water Race Track

Interior of the Ross Water Race Track Hut

Panel on the Ross Water Race Track Hut

Past the hut there is a short section of track before you reach an old cemetery from the mid 1860's. the sun had come out and it was very pleasant walking along with the sun on your face and a nice track to follow. 

Raised track section just past the hut, Ross Water Race Track

A bridge over a side stream, Ross Water Race Track

On the edge of the graveyard is a clearing in the forest where you can see right down to Ross township as well as a long way along the coast. It looked beautiful with the blue of the sea and sky and the vibrant greens of the forest. 

Looking down on Ross Township from the Ross Water Race Track

The Ross historic cemetery was first started in the mid 1860's and had graves right up to the early 1900's. Some of the graves are in the bush margins but it looks like someone has been doing work clearing the vegetation away from the sites. 

As with most colonial graveyards there were a lot of young children and adults in here...the average age of the adults was about 25-27 and the kids were mostly younger than 10. Miners were generally poor people and with the harsh conditions, natural risks and disease they had a high death rate. 

Lonely bush grave outside the cemetery, Ross Water Race Track

Entering the Ross Water Race Track historic cemetery

Graves from the 1860-1900's...Ross Water Race Track

Because all the bush has been cleared away you have excellent views to Ross and along the coast.

Clear view of Ross and the coast from the Ross Water Race Track

View over to Limestone Works, Ross from the Ross Water Race Track

Ross Water Race Track, Ross Historic Cemetery

The cemetery is about 10 minutes from the end of the track and the quiet road back into Ross township. We heading along the track and eventually emerged onto the main road the Ross I-site is on. 

Ross Water Race Track: on the last section of the track

Raised track to combat mud...Ross Water Race Track

End of the bush section, Ross Water Race Track

view back up  track from end of Ross Water Race Track

Then it was a quick walk down hill to the car and a quick look around the historic town precinct in the general area of the I-site. 

Ross Water Race Track: the road back down into Ross

It is an excellent wee track...not long by my usual standards but well worth the time and effort to walk along. The abundant birds, lushness of the bush and the solitude make this a must do if you are ever in the area.

At Ross: the historic gold mining town

The water race track starts and finishes at the old historic gold mining town of Ross. There are a number of old period buildings which have been restored..it is well worth having a look around to see what the area was like.

Ross Historic Township: an old bell tower for the fire brigade

Ross Historic Township: explanation of the Bell Towers use...

An old tavern has been converted into an I-site and visitor center for the town, they had some information about the local history, track maps and West Coast merchandise. The center was busy when we got back as tourist buses stop here so the passengers can have a look around, have something to eat or drink at the only open pub and try their hand at gold panning.

An old tavern converted into the Ross I-site and Visitor centre

Ross Historic Township: map of the historical points of interest in Ross

Plaque to one of the notable Ross residents, Ross Historic Township

There is an old gaol which was built in 1915 and actually used right up to the late 1950's. Just the one cell with a side office for the local constable. I would imagine that it was well used as those mining types like a drink and a punch up from time to time. There was still an open cast mine here right into the 1990's but it has now closed for good.

Ross Historic Township: the old gaol in use since 1915-1957

Set of stocks outside the old gaol, Ross Historic Township

Ross Historic Township: Karen in the stocks..

Another of the old historic buildings is the St Patrick's Catholic Church first opened in 1866.Many of the miners were from Catholic areas of the world..Ireland, Scandinavia, Italy and Germany. The church is still in use to this day there was a program posted at the front door showing the masses being run in the church over October.

Ross Historic Township: information board outside St Patrick's Catholic church

St Patrick's Catholic church in the Ross Historic Township

The building looks like it was built using Baltic Pine and Silver Beech so the wood exposed inside has that deep lustrous caramel color those types of timber are known for. For a church built in 1866 it is in a remarkable state of preservation...

The panel outside talks about how the church has had restoration work done on it several times over the years but the building is more or less as built.

Ross Historic Township: Interior of St Patrick's Church

There is a beautiful stained glass window above the alter which was donated by a parishioner back in the 1920's...

Ross Historic Township: Interior of St Patrick's Church, the alter

The church was fully set up for service and all of the requisite religious icons, crosses and candles etc are set out about the alter. I had a read of the list of past resident priest and it seems like most of them came out from Ireland as all the names are REALLY Irish in origin.

O'Doherty, O'Gormon, O'Dowd etc......

Door to the vestry and alter area,  St Patrick's Church, Ross Historic Township

There is a cloister space at the back of the church for the choir and an organ, and your typical accouterments along the walls..stations of the cross, photos of Saints and past Popes, religious icons etc etc. 

Ross Historic Township: Interior of St Patrick's Church, the choir and organ

As usual there is a photo of the current Pope (Francis) just inside of the door. The titular head of the Catholic church is the Pope so they have his photo on display. Many a government office in New Zealand will have a photo of the  Queen as she is the the head of our country.

Having read a bit about the current Pope and his humble beginnings I bet he thinks it is stuff and nonsense having his photo hanging in thousands of churches, monasteries, parish halls etc. around the world.

Photo of Pope Francis in the foyer of  St Patrick's Catholic Church,  Ross

Anyway, the Ross Water Race Track is very, very nice and while the historic town is small and under developed it is still well worth a look. If you are travelling by on your way south to the glaciers or north to Greymouth I recommend you stop by and have a look at what is on offer.

Keep an eye out for more posts from our trip to Hokitika where we also visited Lake Kaniere and Lake Mahuapua, the West Coast Treeline Walkway and the beautiful Hokitika Gorge Walkway.

Access: Ross township is located on SH 6 between Hokitika and the West Coast glaciers at Franz Josef and Fox. It is approximately 30 km's south of Hokitika. The track starts next to the I-site at Ross.
Track Times: The Ross Water Race Track is about 2.2 km's in distance and takes from 1-5 to 2 hours to walk.
Miscellaneous: Park at the Ross I-site, there is a large parking area right next to the visitors center. The track is of a god quality so can be walked in trainers- no boots required. There are toilets located at the start of the track but no water or toilets along its length. Stay on the track as the area is a warren of old pit heads and mine shafts.