Parking
Start at the end of Cowan Street in Franz Josef. A field account described limited parking in high season, so walking from the village is a useful fallback.
Overview
About Tatare Tunnels Walk
Why go
- The old water tunnel is an unusual, hands-on piece of mining history.
- The walk mixes forest with a view into Tatare Gorge.
Heads up
- The narrow, steep finish leads into a dark tunnel with uneven, wet footing.
Tatare Tunnels Walk is a 2.8-mile (4.4 km) out-and-back from the end of Cowan Street, through forest and a gorge viewpoint to an old water tunnel. Allow about 1½ hours. Pick it for the unusual tunnel and its mining history; the tunnel is a short payoff at the end of a forest approach, not a long cave tour. The last climb is narrow and steep, and the tunnel is dark and wet underfoot.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs this the hike for you?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Westland Tai Poutini map
Full mapElevation145–314 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Westland Tai Poutini alert
- CautionActive landslide zones on Copland TrackDo not stop in either of Copland Track’s signposted active landslide zones; take extra care during and after heavy rain.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide
Your drive to Tatare Tunnels Walk, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Westland Tai Poutini National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Westland Tai Poutini audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Cowan Street Walks: Callery Gorge0:00 / 0:20
“You're approaching Cowan Street, the starting point for the walk to Callery Gorge. Choose this for a forest outing of about an hour and a half return, with the historic bridge and narrow gorge at the far end.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Westland Tai Poutini Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- West Coast Wildlife Centre: Finding the Kiwi
- Terrace Walk: Glowworms Among Fallen Trees
- St James Church: the Peace Stamp View
- Westland Visitor Centre and Waiho Hot Tubs
- 49 audio storiesacross Westland Tai Poutini’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Kea, Blue Duck, Kererū, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 31 trails, 53 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Tatare Tunnels Walk
From Cowan Street to the gorgeThe first five minutes share the Callery Gorge approach.
The first five minutes share the Callery Gorge approach. It climbs gently to a terrace behind Franz Josef, past the town’s water pipes and tanks. After about ten minutes on an old four-wheel-drive road, the track rises gently, then drops to a view into Tatare Gorge. Turn left where the walks divide; the Tatare route continues toward the tunnel.
The last approach gets steeper, narrower, and rockier. Expect a more careful climb just before the entrance rather than a smooth stroll all the way.
Inside the first tunnelThe tunnel is unlit, with an uneven stone floor and water that can be ankle-deep.
The tunnel is unlit, with an uneven stone floor and water that can be ankle-deep. A torch lets you see where you’re placing your feet; a raincoat helps in the damp passage. If glowworms are showing, stop safely and give your eyes time to adjust before switching off your light. They’re a possible bonus, not a guaranteed display.
The track ends just inside the far end of the first tunnel. The historic system continues beyond, but the wooden structures there are damaged and aren’t part of this walk.
Why there’s a tunnel herePioneer miners cut a 500-metre tunnel system through the gorge to carry water to the Waiho…
Pioneer miners cut a 500-metre tunnel system through the gorge to carry water to the Waiho terrace. The gold didn’t repay the cost, but Franz Josef township grew on the mining site. From 1911, sluice pipes supplied water to the Graham Hotel, and high-pressure water turned a Pelton wheel that powered a sawmill by day and town lights at night. A small hydro station used the tunnels from 1938 until a slip destroyed it in 1982.
Getting to the startBegin at the end of Cowan Street in Franz Josef.
Begin at the end of Cowan Street in Franz Josef. The small parking area there has been reported to fill in high season; walking over from the village is a useful fallback.
Is this the hike for you?Bring a torch and raincoat. The floor is uneven and water may reach your ankles.
Bring a torch and raincoat. The floor is uneven and water may reach your ankles. Dogs aren’t allowed. The visitor route ends just inside the far end of the first tunnel; don’t continue into the damaged timber structures beyond it.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Westland Tai Poutini
89 sightingsKeaMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
10 sightingsBlue DuckMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
80 sightingsKererūMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
38 sightingsTūīMost seen around 5 AMSighting map
10 sightingsNew Zealand FalconMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
28 sightingsYellow-crowned ParakeetMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Westland Tai Poutini. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
