Bannockburn Sluicings Historic Reserve

This site is amazing. The views are great from the top. History of the area is mind blowing the signs give you a brief look into what it was like. Goldming in such a baron place would have been so hard, all for GOLD. Sad that they didn't have to return the land to the way it was.The smell of thyme was lovely.

Excellent walk and great viewsLots of history on gold mining. Really enjoyed this

DOCcared for walk way. Historical. Some parts easy other parts need a bit of effort. Wear sturdy shoes especially when it is wet. This is a unique historical walk. You will be thrilled by the scenery of the sluicings but also the views of the surrounding hills and valleys. Reminds me of movie sets like close encounters, has a moon scape feel, or mexico type caves.In the middle of the walk is this old pioneer stone cottage in the middle of this flat pasture which apparently held a dam - you can still see the dam walls.Plenty of rabbits about. No toilets. Parking off road. Walkway is pegged and there are great information boards dotted at various interest points.No charge.

Do not let the opportunity to visit the sluicings slipped by. This walk through time which in places is like Jurassic Park is so rewarding with magnificent views and spectacular views.It’s a relatively easy up and down walk in places not advisable in wet conditions.

Great place for a walk and to get away from the crowds. Also would be great for a picnic up the top at Stewart Town if you can carry your picnic on your back. I recommend good walking shoes, walking poles and your own water. There is parking off Felton Road. The views are amazing. Bring your camera.

Bannockburn Sluicings is a favourite walk of ours. There are great sign boards to help you understand the environment you are looking at. It is such an unusual landscape - like the badlands.there are marvelous views of the Kawerau River, the plantings of the Bannockburn wineries and Lake Dunstan.

Great walk to explore the history of this gold mining area. The track should suit all levels of fitness but there is a lack of signposts and it's easy to wander off the main track meaning that you'll need to backtrack. I'd recommend doing the full loop up to Stewart Town.Take some water if the weather is hot as it can be quite dusty and dry.

The walk around the Bannockburn Sluicings is pretty darn good. The loop track is around 3.5 to 4 km and takes a good hour or more if you explore a bit and stop for a few snaps. It's amazing to think that this landscape was modified do much by mining efforts around 150 years ago. It looks like something in a desert from the movies. Reading the information panels is worthwhile if you like history, particularly gold mining history. The Stewart town ruins are pretty cool and make you wonder what life would be like up here all those years ago. Be careful to follow the trail as it's easy enough to wander off onto other tracks. Just follow the markers and check for them regularly. The walk is quite hilly so a reasonable degree of fitness is required as us being reasonably sure footed. Nothing is too difficult though. Take water on a hot day. The views are panoramic and truly stunning as you get to the top. It feels like you can see 100 miles as you look out over the vineyards, across Cromwell and all the way down Lake Dunstan to the mountains. Beautiful.

A popular walk over historic gold sluicing sites. The track is well formed and relatively easy. A few historic building remains exist and the odd DOC info board explains these. The walk is pretty raw and gives you an insight of the tough conditions the gold prospectors endured.

You can choose from multiple tracks here as seen on the sign at the start of the track. The Bannockburn Sluicings Loop is a very exposed gravel track, bringing you across many areas where sluicing used to be done. It isn’t a Bush walk, or a lakeside walk. You see mainly rockfaces - not my first choice for a hike but it has its own beauty. You get to a high point where you can see a large section of Bannockburn, and the view is amazing. There are uphills and downhills and flat sections, it’s an easy walk.