Waikino Memorial and Bridge

Deep in the heart of Waikino in the Hauraki District of Karangahake Gorge off the main highway lies this wall of Memorial Artwork.  The year was 1981 and at 5pm one night shocking news came through that the small town had been washed away by a huge torrent of water into the gorge. Three local men rowed a boat to the local Waikino Hotel to help those who were stranded by the tide but those in the premises didn't want to leave. In the 2nd mosaic on the art wall is a design of the rowboat in question.

The bridge and the art wall were opened in 2016 and the panels were designed by artists Michael Cole, Trevor Heighway, Irene Wilcocks, Christine Burne, Michael O'Donnell, Shona Laing (the NZ singer) and Con Kiernan - all of whom had ties to the area.

Apparently the panels incorporate six mixed media showing aspects of the area such as early flora and fauna, Maori history, Victorian battery mining days, art of another era, the flood and the after affects plus future vision for the town.

Interestingly the only 2 buildings which survived the flood are the Waikino Hotel and the local town hall - both of which are still in use today.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday and My Corner of the World.

Waikino Station Cafe

One place I was itching to visit since we lived in Tauranga was the old Waikino Station Cafe - located within the Karangahake Gorge Region and just off the main highway. I use to think this was still an actual railway station but it turns out it is now a vintage rail cafe.

Unfortunately because it's Winter here the cafe was closed so the closest I could get was taking a photo from the front over the tracks.

The construction was first started in 1900 and was opened in 1905 for goods and passengers. This would've been quite an isolated area, these days it's in the middle of the countryside within the Karangahake Gorge so it would also probably been used to cart stone and rock from the railway within the Gorge itself.

So here's how it would've first looked in 1905. In 1952 the station stopped operating and in 1961 it was closed. Good to know now though that it's been used for something good.

Karangahake Gorge Cliffs

This is one of my favourite spots, about an hour or so out of Tauranga as I've posted before is the Karangahake Gorge a very historical place. The main highway has been carved out of the cliffs and on the left is the stream and waterfall that runs through. It's certainly a formidable place.

Linking with Wednesday around the world.

The Karangahake Gorge Railway Tunnel

Lovely Summer's day - the old Karangahake Gorge conservation site, and this part of it which is the railway tunnel loop runs for about 45 minutes. Very cold inside, walls running with dripping water here and there but at over 100 years old what more can be expected?

But it all wasn't well back in the day it was being used by miners according to the 1904 issue of the Evening Post. In fact accidents were still happening 4 years later. There is talk today though of mining starting up again in this area, I hope it doesn't happen as it's such a lovely place to explore.

The railway tracks were apparently removed in 1981, much easier to walk through without them and the whole length of the tunnel is well lit up. A very popular place to explore not just for hikers but also for cyclists.

Owharoa Waterfalls - Waikato

Today...another tiki tour, this time in the opposite direction to Owharoa Waterfalls - about an hour from home. Just off the main highway and before the Karangahake Gorge. Located in between Paeroa and Waihi we found the water was very heavy most likely from all the rain we had last week. I even managed to get a photo of a couple of tourists getting their photos taken in front of the waterfall.

Linking up with Our World Tuesday :-)

Autumn - colours are changing in the Coromandel...

I have been doing some travelling lately - one of the spots I went through was Waihi. This place I visited with family when I was little so it was refreshing to see all the shops etc once again. Because the further you go down NZ the colder it gets, this place had the beginnings of Autumn colours going on.

Another place is through the Karangahake Gorge in the Coromandel region. This place as mentioned in a previous post has a huge hiking trail used by many cyclists and hikers. I plan to do this at some point as I love walking - perfect place to not only stop and think but also take great photos of the sunning scenery.

And various Acorn trees were dotted along the parking area at the Gorge. I just love these colours...

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State Highway 2 - Karangahake Gorge Canyon

I captured this amazing shot recently while driving along State Highway 2 just past the Karangahake Gorge near the Kaimai Ranges. This area of road is between Paeroa, Waikino and  and Waihi. It truly is a stunning piece of New Zealand!