Nelson Creek walks, Nelson Creek, Grey
Nelson Creek is an agreeable and accessible location amongst the nineteen South Island areas designated for Gold Fossicking (prospecting by hand with pan or sluice box).
Nelson Creek is up the Grey Valley, a tributary of the mighty river. You get there using State Highway Seven on the southern side of the Grey, as far as Ngahere, where there is a turnoff, up a wide river valley, with productive dairy flats on either side, dotted with farmhouses and sheds. The road and the river wind gently towards the remnant of the old town, which consists mainly of the Nelson Creek pub, and church next door, and a few more houses. At one point this was a settlement of 1200 hopeful miners, trying their luck in the surrounding bush. One claim was named "try again terrace" but it was worked out fairly quickly.
On the riverside is a the recreation area, fit for picnicking and camping and managed by the Department of Conservation. It even boasts outdoor barbecues complete with cut firewood at times, restroom facilities and a children's playground. A hand picked tunnel through a rock leads to the 1872 swinging footbridge for access to walkways through former gold mining areas. Walks range from 20 minutes to 1.5 hours and are dotted with relics of the rush. There used to be dredges here and water races, and earthworks left behind a waterfall or two. The walkways lead to the riverside places were you may fossick for gold, in Clauhesys Creek and Prices Creek, downhill from Callahans Walk.
If you really like it here, or score big with the gold, there are a few bnbs around, and further up the valley is scenic Lake Hochsetter, which also was also earlier exercised as a gold mining area, but now is gazetted as an ecological area, home to the giant kokopu, and paradise shelduck, and known as a good pig hunting area, depending upon varying access.
Image Credits: Google Maps and Topomap
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