CHARMING CREEK WALKWAY

The track starts with an easy 30-minute walk to an area where bins, historically used for transporting timber and coal, can be seen.

From here the track enters the Lower Ngakawau Gorge. There are sections of the old wooden centre brake rail – reminders of the difficulty of controlling heavy trains on the steep grades.

From the suspension bridge, admire views up and down the gorge. Steep bluffs are surrounded in native bush, with water flowing past immense boulders in the riverbed below. The impressive Mangatini Falls are visible from the track beyond the bridge.

A 50 m tunnel leads to a section of track called the Verandah which offers spectacular views of the river and Upper Ngakawau Gorge.

The track then leads to the river flats of Charming Creek and the historic site of Watson’s Mill.