CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
An easy 1 hour 30 minutes 5.2 km return walk to an old and condemned bridge over the Callery Gorge.
Map Data: Google, Digital Globe, Department of Conservation (DOC).
below to explore this walk.
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
This easy walk begins in the Franz Josef Waiau township, at the end of Cowan Street. We walk the Tatare Tunnels track for 5 minutes then turn right and climb gently to a high terrace behind Franz Josef township, passing the town water supply. The track enters rainforest and passes by an old gold mining water race and rusting relics before descending into Callery Gorge. The brochure says to not attempt to cross the bridge.
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Callery Gorge is named after the first person to find gold near Franz Josef in the 1860s.
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
The track follows a wide easy uphill gravel road.
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
After about 5 minutes, we come to this intersection and turn right.
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
This sign comes as a bit of a surprise...
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Aah-huh... Okay. That must be the town explosives storage facility. Moving right along...
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
And this is the town water supply. Bit of an unusual walk, this one so far...
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Then the track gets narrower...
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
...and passes some old gold mining relics.
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
And an old gold mining water race.
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
Then the track plunges quite steeply downhill...
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
...until we come to this bridge, which the brochure says not to cross.
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
There is a sign on the other side that says something like "Danger. Bridge Closed."
CALLERY GORGE WALK - Westland Tai Poutini National Park
...but the funny thing is, we have to cross the bridge to read the sign! Nice view upstream.