The Invincible Gold Mine Track is a short walk with a great name, combining wonderful views and remains of New Zealand’s gold mining heritage.
It starts half way along the Rees Valley Road, half an hour north of Glenorchy, just past a rather deep ford.
The signage says 2-3 hours return, but when it’s -2C outside you tend to move a little faster. The track ascends steeply along a clear path, with occasional breaks in the forest for views down the valley.
There’s a reasonable amount remaining of the gold mine, the highlight easily being the seven berdans used to extract gold earring pyrites, lined up looking ready for use.
There are also remains of a waterwheel close by.
From the gold mine there are stunning views up the Rees Valley.
The track continues but peters out past the nearby river.
A kilometre down the road from the start of the track is the Invincible Mine Concentrator, a rather serious and atmospheric piece of kit.
Its incredible that the scenery was overshadowed by the search for a shiny piece of metal!