Goldmount (Coromandel) Traditional Cache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(small)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
A cache placed off the beaten track near Whangamata, not a walk in the park.
Goldmount - Wentworth Valley
CACHE DETAILS:
Cache is in a small sistema box. Has pencil and logbook only. No room for travel bugs. Please place back exactly where you found it.
HISTORY :
Goldmount was named after a mining company operating in this area in the late 19th century.
The area is called the Wires because the telegraph line between Auckland and Wellington was diverted through here during the Waikato Land Wars. The area was extensively logged. Gold was discovered here circa 1887, followed by gumdiggers, then settlers whose cattle failed due to a lack of cobalt in the soil.As a result of all this activity, few areas of established trees were left, most forest is regenerating bush which has grown back in relatively recent times.
TRACK:
The track starts at the Wentworth Valley campground just 15 min drive from Whangamata. Partially well graded gravel road and a ford, but not rough driving, but can be very busy over the Christmas New years period. Campground is one of the very very few that allows dogs.
This track can be walked either as a loop with the Wentworth Steam engine cache or as a return trip.
The first part of the track starts near the DOC office of the campground. Waypoint needed to find the entrance. The track ascends very steeply from the grassy area and heads uphill climbing through regenerating bush to around 200 metres. Depending on fitness this can take between 1.5 hours to 2.0 hours. Track is dry and not well marked you can come off the track if not careful, however the leaves underfoot can be slippery. There is a large deep mine shaft just before the junction, watch for small children it's not securely fenced.
The second part of the track, just after the shaft starts at the signposted junction with the loop track called the old wires track and the ridge track to Goldmount. The Goldmount section is 30 minutes one way, one hour return. The track is not well marked you can come off the track if not careful it is narrower and very steep at the end. The view near the top has a beautiful outlook of Whangamata and Islands below.
Heading home. Once returning to the junction, to return home either ;
ONE - go back down the very steep track you just came up which is around 1.5 hours down.
TWO - make your way along the badly marked loop track called the Old Wires past some rotten telegraph poles to the Whangamata Off road vehicle track. This track is very poorly marked be very careful not to lose your way. You will need good bush navigation skills, its not physically demanding however. This will make a full days outing.
If deciding to carry on, once reaching the Off Road track turn left and follow it to the marked entrance to the Wentworth Falls. About 30 minutes. This area is the Old Wires track / Whangamata off road vehicle track on the Maratoto plateau, which comes in from the Paeroa side of the hills, see Marototo monster cache. Then either join the quest to find the Steam engine cache or head down to the carpark past the Wentworth Falls. This will take under two hours, and crosses three larger streams and many small ones.
The lower part of the Wentworth track is a bridged and gravelled walkway. The turnoff to the lookout is clearly sign posted and doesn't take long to get to the platform. See Wentworth falls cache (info slightly old). Watch out for runners over summer.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Oruvaq Grn gerr arne ybbx bhg haqre ebpx
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures