Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → West Coast → Chasm Creek Walkway

Location: Mokihinui area, West Coast, New Zealand

Time Required: 1 hour

Distance: 1.2 km/0.75 miles roundtrip

Elevation Gain: practically flat

Red Tape/Notes: None.

What’s Nearby?: Charming Creek Walkway, SS Lawrence Shipwreck

Chasm Creek is a great little path leading through lush green forests, then opening to views of the Mokihinui River, and passing through a neat most-covered tunnel to saw awesome old bridges which are unfortunately closed for safety reasons (or perhaps fortunately, since you wouldn’t want to be the one to confirm their lack of safety). The short track follows a portion of the old Chasm Creek Railway, which has a history linked with two nearby sites: the Charming Creek Walkway and the Shipwreck of the SS Lawrence – the Chasm Creek Railway was used to carry coal for the Charming Creek Coal Company when they stopped using their own line (which became the site of the Charming Creek Walkway) and also carried coal overland for the Mokihinui Coal Company (which was then carried off for export on the SS Lawrence, until it foundered). The coolest thing about the walkway may be the train wreckage clearly visible in and above the water near the west side of the tunnel. A footpath leads down the bank to the wreck, which you can (carefully) climb into and explore around. I may bring a mask and snorkel to have a closer look next time.

Epic Travel → Asia & the South Pacific → New Zealand → West Coast → Chasm Creek Walkway