Bannockburn Sluicings Historic Reserve

This is where the Nevis Road comes out of the hills. The Bannockburn Sluicings is a DOC-managed historic reserve. Miners in the 1860s and later blasted whole hillsides apart with high-pressure water, and what they left behind is a maze of pale cliffs, spires and gullies. Walking tracks loop through the old water races, tailings and ruined stone huts. It’s open country with little shade, so bring water. Summers run hot and dry, and winters can be sharp and frosty.

Access is by sealed and gravel roads out of Bannockburn and Cromwell, so any vehicle gets you there. There’s no camping at the reserve itself, and it’s day use only. If you’re finishing the Nevis, it’s a good walk to stretch your legs and a way to see the history behind the valley you just drove. Check current DOC info before you go, since track conditions and access can change. Stay on the formed tracks and leave the ruins as you found them. Have a dirty day.

Gold-rush sluicing scars at the end of the Nevis