Waihi

WAIHI ACCOMMODATION | Waihi Apartments

WAIHI ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL | Waihi Information

Waihi is in Hauraki District in the North Island of New Zealand. The town is at the bottom of the Coromandel Peninsula, near the western end of the Bay of Plenty.

Waihi is one of the most famous gold mining towns in New Zealand and the gold mining history is evident everywhere. It is still a gold mining town with production hidden behind the leafy slopes close to the main street.

Enjoy the simpler things in life when you visit Waihi. The town is full of old wooden buildings and has a white sand beach where you can enjoy shellfish collecting and sea fishing.

To the west of Waihi is Ohinemuri River, which runs through the Karangahake Gorge, where visitors can go trout fishing and find mining relics. The vintage train travels from Waihi to Waikino and people of all ages can enjoy the easy walking tracks along the river. Waihi is an ideal stopover between Auckland and Tauranga or from the Coromandel Peninsula to Rotorua.

Waihi History

It was the temptation of gold that brought a lot of people to Waihi, in 1878 gold-bearing quartz was found on Pukewa spur, a Maori burial ground which soon became the famous Martha Mine.

In 1908, Waihi was the fastest growing town in the Auckland Province with a population three times that of Hamilton. The mighty Martha Mine became one of the most important gold and silver mines in the world. By 1952, when it closed, around 5.6 million ounces of gold and 38.4 million ounces of silver had been produced from 12 million tonnes of ore.

Main Towns in the Coromandel Region

Other Towns in the Coromandel Region