Blue Creek

Today we went exploring by driving south to Tapawera and then along the Wangapeka River Rd to the Rolling River car park.  The discovery of a quartz reef in 1869 lead to rush.  1870 was the peak year of activity when quartz crushing batteries were bought in.  The township of Wangapeka sprang up and grew to 250 people but within two years most of the miners had gone.  No significant finds were ever made in the area.  Several tramping tracks start here.  We did a little amble beside Nuggety Creek.  There was nice beech forest on the opposite bank.  We were walking where the miners would have walked in 1870.  The extra of stone walls I think were built as part of  sluicing or diverting the stream.  2nd extra is a friendly NZ robin.