Around the World Again

Tauranga, New Zealand – February 3, 2018

Probably the biggest tourist attraction in the area is Rotorua, the geothermal reserve, and the second is a visit to Hobbiton, the movie set. Since I visited Rotorua last time I was here and never read Tolkein or saw the movies, I decided on something entirely different – gold mining.

I had no idea gold was mined in New Zealand but the tour, “Waihi Gold Experience”, taught me a great deal about it and was one of the best tours I have taken. Although it was a ship tour there were only 11 of us including the ship representative, Carol the watercolor instructor. We had a mini-bus so getting on and off went quickly.

Eddie, our driver/guide, picked us up just off the ship and we headed north from Tauranga for an hour’s drive to Waihi. On the way we passed through Katikati where there were murals on many of the buildings (unfortunately I did not get many pictures).

We had a morning snack in the Gold Rush Café which included a delicious blueberry muffin, a meat filled pie, and coffee or tea. Afterwards we went next door to the Gold Discovery Centre. They had excellent displays, some interactive, as well as a 12 minute hologram presentation telling about life in Waihi.

From the centre we crossed the street to see the Cornish Pumphouse. It was used to pump out the water in the mines below. It was moved about 300 metres to its present location after the ground beneath it was deemed unstable. Next to it is the deep hole which was the original Martha Mine. There was a large rockslide a few years ago that shut down the working of the mine at the present although it is not abandoned.

It was about a five minute ride to Waikino where we bordered the Goldfields Railroad. Originally the railroad supplied goods to Waihi and other towns through the area but was shut down in the early 1970s when a more direct north-south rail line was built. About 7 kilometres of track were saved between Waihi and Waikino and now is run through donations and with volunteer drivers and conductors.

We had a box lunch and orange juice during the 30 minute ride back to Waihi where our mini-bus met us and took us to the underground mine that is still producing gold and silver. We were able to drive through the area and learn more about the mining process. The gold and silver ore is taken from the quartz rock where it is tumbled (kind of like a giant clothes dryer) with metal balls that reduce it to the consistency of talcum powder. From there it is heated and poured into bars that contain both gold and silver. These bars are sent to Perth, Australia where the gold and silver are separated. Each bar contains roughly 70% silver and a little less than 30% gold as well as trace amounts of other metals.

An hour ride back got us to the ship just in time for the muster drill. Due to arriving when the muster drill was already in progress, I did not have time to return to my cabin. Even with scanning our cards, we still had to stand for over 20 minutes.

It was time for afternoon trivia when the drill was over. None of my teammates showed up so I joined Jim, Jessica, and Bill (who, coincidentally, were all on the same tour with me today). We had 17 out of 17 and WON!
1)Which country consumes the most wine per capita?

2)Who was the first non-human to win an academy award?

3)Which European country made it illegal to pull your child’s hair in a 1973 law?

4)What was the first Asian city to host the summer Olympics?

5)In what film did Frank Sinatra play a drug addict?

Watched the sail-away from the Sea View Pool deck and then came back to work on the blog before dinner.

All eight present for dinner. I had French onion soup. Boneless beef rib stroganoff, and crème brule for dessert. Tonight’s show was “Rock Rhapsody”, a trio singing the hits of Queen. I sat with Marilyn and Rodney who had driven to Rotorua today.

Napier tomorrow.

Katikati

Waihi

Morning snack

Gold Discovery Centre

How much gold do you think is in that huge quartz rock above?

A model of the mine made from Legos

If you guessed the smallest amount of gold in the picture above, you are correct!

Pumping Station

A model of the pumping station

the Martha Mine

where the slide occurred

where the wood is is where the shaft would be to lower the miners

Poppies in remembrance of the Waihi men who served in WWI

Train

café in the station

lunch (the wrapped portion is a chocolate chip cookie)

Mine Site

we had to wear a hard hat and neon vest while on the site

the entrance to the mine that is presently working

the large hanging ball is one put into the tumblers to break up the quartz - the tiny one right next to it is all that is left after a week's tumbling