01 Nov Happy trails
Surrounded by hills and old gold mining tacks, Ophir is ideally suited as a base of exploration of the many middle valleys and passes in the region.
Thomsons Gorge (best in a 4×4)
The Thomson Gorge Road crosses over a low saddle in the Dunstan Mountain range from the Manuherikia Valley at Omakau to Bendigo. It winds up through the gorge and over the 900m saddle.
It is a dry weather track and recommended 4WD, and as an intermediate level mountain bike ride. Occasional maintenance work is done on the road but some sections have large potholes. It is famous for its 32 gates, many of which have to be opened and closed.
it pays to go over thomsons gorge with a willing person riding shotgun, someone prepared to open all the gates. a pain, but worth it.
There are wonderful views of the Hawkdun Range. On the track there are many reminders of the gold mining past, including stone walls and diversion channels near the creek bed. Just off the track is a simple stone hut built in 1908 as a shelter for travellers – a great place to stop for lunch. You also pass the Rise & Shine Reef and then the Come-In-Time Reef and the restored ten stamp Matilda battery which you can explore off the road – including a 60m mine tunnel that can be explored if you have a torch.
Here’s a good traveller’s blog to get you in the mood
a bulldozer working near the top of Thomson’s track
Poolburn Dam
Poolburn Dam is found winding up from part of the Old Dunstan Rd that gave gold diggers access to the Central Otago gold fields. The dam itself was built during the Great Depression for irrigation but also as an employment initiative, and the water is still used by farmers in the Ida Valley. It was the film location for the mythical city of Rohan in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and you can see why when you get there. It is surrounded in beautiful tussock scenery on rock swept land.
The dam is approximately 35 minutes by car from the Poolburn Hotel (see Adventure Hub in the Eat and Drink section on this website) on the foothills of the Raggedy Range. Look for the sign Poolburn Moa Creek Rd opposite the Hotel. Follow Moa Creek Rd and look for the sign on the left “Poolburn Dam”.
The high parts of the track (about 14km in total) are only open from October to May, and you can either retrace your steps back to Moa Creek or carry on past the dam gate and downhill to come out near Puketoi. This section is a true 4WD track.
At the dam there are great views across the lake including the fishing cribs There are trout in abundance in the dam as well as koura (NZ freshwater crayfish).
Serpentine Track (4×4)
Serpentine, named after the winding path of nearby Waimonga Creek, is a spectacular and well-preserved mining area on the Rough Ridge mountains at about 1030 metres.
Starting from Paerau take the Old Dunstan Road 2 off Linnburn Runs Road. An initial climb leads up to McPhees Rock (2.5 km)The 4WD track starts 300 m north of McPhees Creek ford. It then joins the main Rock and Pillar Range and follows it north to Summit Rock, 1450 m above sea level. From Summit Rock it is possible to join Kinvara Road (a further 10 km one way) to exit down the eastern side of the range to SH87.
The Serpentine track is only accessible from October to May (and even then with good 4WD conditions. The track is deeply rutted, and rock and clay dirt turns it very slippery after rain. It is about 35kms and takes up to 3 hours. There are numerous gates to open and shut.
Serpentine has a stamper battery, water wheel as well as a beautiful little church, which is a great site for a picnic. The church opened in July 1873, and apparently, the minister was late attending and by the time he arrived the miners gathered had already been down to the hotel for refreshments and had been drinking heavily. After the first hymn was sung the drunken miners wanted an encore. The minister cut short the service and declared he would never return there for another service.
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