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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: -37.28082, 175.83839. 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
- 10 km return via same track
- Walking time
- 3 hr 30 min
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Coromandel Forest Park
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
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
The Wharekirauponga Track in Parakiwai Valley and the Royal Standard Goldmine area follows along an old horse-drawn tram track.
This DOC directory entry covers Wharekirauponga Track in Waikato, within 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: 10 km return via same track
- Walking time: 3 hr 30 min
- DOC grade: Easy
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.
- Wharekirauponga Track partial closure for kauri protection; First published on 20 September 2024. Last reviewed on 5 October 2026.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This track is an old horse-drawn tram track. It passes unusual andesitic rock formations en route to the old camp and battery site for the Royal Standard Goldmine.
Beyond the battery site and tunnel are the Wharekirauponga Falls.
Getting there
The track starts at the end of Parakiwai Quarry Road, 2 km south of the Wentworth Valley near Whangamata.
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.
