Seddonville combines a mining history that can be dated with a variety of trails. New Zealand’s first state-owned coal mine opened here in 1903. Seddonville is also the northern end of The Old Ghost Road. The Mōkihinui River area is accessible from Seddonville at the entrance to the Mōkihinui River Gorge. When choosing where to stay, it helps to distinguish between mining heritage, shorter trails nearby, and a long route.
Mining history in Seddonville
New Zealand’s first state-owned coal mine opened in Seddonville in 1903. Chasm Creek Walkway and Charming Creek Walkway are among the most important reminders of Seddonville’s mining heritage. Nearby is also the Charming Creek landscape, one of New Zealand’s best-preserved sawmilling and coal-mining landscapes. The two walkways’ connection to the town thus links to a broader nearby theme of mining and sawmilling landscapes.
Trails and specific landmarks
The Charming Creek North Walkway passes through the 50-metre-long Mangatini Tunnel to a lookout over Mangatini Falls. The tunnel and lookout give this route a clearly defined course near Seddonville. Those who like a trail with a distinctive structure and a specific destination will find a different kind of orientation here than in the historical connections of the walkways in Seddonville.
The Chasm Creek Track nearby offers a different scale. This easy walk is 2.0 kilometres long and is described as a loop taking about 45 minutes. It starts on Mokihinui-Seddonville Road inland from Mokihinui and follows the route of the former Westport-Seddonville railway. Along the way, it passes through a tunnel and over an old railway bridge across Chasm Creek; there are also views of the Mōkihinui River. Its length, rating, and loop format make this track a manageable walking option, clearly distinct from the long route of The Old Ghost Road.
The Old Ghost Road and the wider Buller District
The Old Ghost Road is an 85-kilometre trail for mountain bikers and trekkers; its northern end is in Seddonville. In the wider destination of the Buller District, the route passes through original forest, open tussock plateaus, river flats, and forgotten valleys. Bookings are required for the huts along the Old Ghost Road—Lyell Saddle, Ghost Lake, Stern Valley, and Specimen Point. They are managed by the Mokihinui Lyell Backcountry Trust. Booking a hut is therefore a separate part of planning for this route.
The Buller District stretches from Punakaiki in the south to Kahurangi National Park at the northern tip of the West Coast and includes, among other places, Karamea and Reefton. As another example of the landscape options in the wider destination, an easy, family-friendly trail runs through beech and podocarp forest to Ōpārara Arch. It is 1.1 kilometres long and takes about 30 minutes. By comparison, the nearby Chasm Creek Track is longer, at 2.0 kilometres and around 45 minutes; these figures help put the respective trail distances and time frames into perspective.
Discover more destinations: Denniston, Karangarua, Karamea, Reefton, Kumara.
Return to the main travel overview: West Coast.
