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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -37.10769, 175.73685. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- 50 m return via same track
- Walking time
- 5 min
- Track grade
- Easiest
- Location
- Broken Hills area / Coromandel Forest Park
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
This short walk takes you to the remains of a battery built during the 1930s depression to process ore.
This DOC directory entry covers Government Battery Walk in Waikato, within Broken Hills area / Coromandel Forest Park. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: 50 m return via same track
- Walking time: 5 min
- DOC grade: Easiest
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Description
This battery was built by the government to process ore prospected during the 1930s Depression. Only a flat concrete foundation remains visible today. Further up the walking track you’ll find a small waterfall and pool—an ideal place to cool down on a hot day.
Getting there
Broken 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.
Puketui Valley Road entrance
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.
Puketui Road entrance
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.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
