The Goldfields Park is a Department of Conservation historic reserve. Based on an original gold field, the Park, originally known as Gees Flat, was first mined in the 1860's. It is located in the spectacular Kawarau Gorge on the main road between Cromwell and Queenstown. The Park offers a fascinating insight into the way in which the early gold miners lived and worked in their pursuit of the elusive gold. Using water from dams in the hills behind the park, the miners sluiced and tunneled large areas of the 25 hectare site, leaving behind them numerous relics and mining equipment. Guided and self-guided tours of the site enable visitors to gain an appreciation of the incredible work of those early miners and to see for themselves the old mining equipment which is still used for demonstration purposes. Visitors gold panning in virgin soil can still uncover good sized gold nuggets.
The Park offers a fascinating insight into the way in which the early gold miners lived and worked in their pursuit of the elusive gold. Using water from dams in the hills behind the park, the miners sluiced and tunneled large areas of the 25 hectare site, leaving behind them numerous relics and mining equipment.
