Water Race Tunnel Track
WalkWaikatoOpen
- Grade
- Easiest
- Distance
- 1.6 km
- Dogs
- On a lead
Getting there
We have not checked a road end or car park for this place yet, so we do not give driving directions to it. Check how to get there before you go. Some routes cross private land and need the landowner's permission.
How to get there, on doc.govt.nzBroken Hills is 19 km from Tairua and 27 km from Whangamata.
The two entrance roads (Puketui Valley Road and Puketui Road) to Broken Hills do not connect and a stream crossing is required between them.
Plan your journey so you access your destined track or campsite by the correct entrance road.
Turn off SH25 at Hikuai onto Morrison’s Road (50 m north of the Pauanui turn off) then onto Puketui Valley Road. It is 6 km to the car park at the end of Puketui Valley Road.
Note: Tairua River Bridge, one km short of the road end, has a 10-tonne weight limit.
Alternative access is available off the Kopu-Hikuai Road (SH25a), 26 km from Thames. Turn on to Puketui Road 400 m before the Tairua River and Fourth Branch Scenic Reserve. A 4 km gravel road brings you to the Puketui Road car park at the southern end of Broken Hills. You will need to wade the stream to access the track system as there is no bridge across the water.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Map
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Topo map: LINZ, CC BY 4.0. 37.11230° S, 175.73184° E
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About this place
This track follows the old water race that took water from Third Branch Steam to drive the Broken Hills Battery.
The route
Take the Main Range Track off the Puketui Walk and veer left onto the Water Race Tunnels Track. This follows the old water race that took water from the Third Branch Stream across the Tairua River via three tunnels to drive the Broken Hills Battery. The original race was 3300 m long. At the southern end, the track joins the Water Race Link Track, where you can either drop down a stepped track for 15 min to the Puketui Walk and return to where you started, or climb up to the Third Branch Track and onto Collins Drive.
Source: DOC Te Papa Atawhai.
Nearby stops
Broken Hills Campsite
Standard • Waikato • 1 km
Broken Hills Campsite is a standard campsite situated beside the Tairua River in the Coromandel region. The site is surrounded by native bush, offering a…
Non-powered/tent sites • Water from tap - not treated, boil before use • Toilets - non-flush
Billygoat Basin Campsite
Backcountry • Waikato • 6.3 km
Billygoat Basin Campsite is a campsite located on the popular Billygoat Circuit in the Coromandel region.
Water from stream • Toilets - non-flush • Toilets
Trestle View Campsite
Standard • Waikato • 7.6 km
Trestle View Campsite is a scenic campsite located at the end of the Kauaeranga Valley in the Coromandel. It is the closest campsite to the start of the Webb…
Non-powered/tent sites • Water from stream • Toilets - non-flush
Totara Flat Campsite: Coromandel
Standard • Waikato • 7.7 km
Totara Flat Campsite is located in the Coromandel and offers pitches alongside the river or on higher ground. A boardwalk leads through the forest to the site.
Non-powered/tent sites • Water from stream • Toilets - non-flush
Catleys Campsite
Standard • Waikato • 7.8 km
Catleys Campsite is a riverside campsite located 6 km north of the Kauaeranga visitor centre in the Coromandel region.
Non-powered/tent sites • Water from stream • Toilets - non-flush
Walks nearby
Puketui Walk
Easiest • Under 1 hour • 900 m • 0.5 km away
Broken Hills Battery Walk
Easiest • 20 min • 550 m • 1.43 km away
Golden Hills Battery Walk
Easiest • 30 min • 800 m • 1.43 km away
The Hihi Trig Track
Advanced • 8.8 km • 1.47 km away
Kaitarakihi Summit Track
Advanced • 6 hr return • 7.2 km • 5.31 km away
Notes from people who have been
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Sources
- DOC Tracks (API) · CC BY 4.0Crown Copyright: Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai. Data sourced from the DOC Developer Portal (api.doc.govt.nz).
- DOC Tracks & Trails · CC BY 4.0Data sourced from the Department of Conservation (DOC), New Zealand.