Waihi, town in the Waikato area of New Zealand
Waihi is a small town in the Hauraki District on the North Island of New Zealand, long associated with gold and silver mining. Old mine buildings, open pits, and preserved machinery sit close to the town center and remain a visible part of daily life there.
Gold was first found near Waihi in 1878, and within a few years the town had grown into one of the main mining centers in New Zealand. The early 1900s brought one of the country's most serious labor strikes, when miners walked out for months over pay and working conditions.
The gold-mining past of Waihi shows up in murals, shop fronts, and small displays scattered through the town center. A lookout near the open pit gives visitors a direct view of the mining operation that still runs today.
The town center is easy to walk around, with shops, cafes, and the main points of interest all close together. If you are arriving through Karangahake Gorge, plan for extra travel time because the road is winding and narrow in places.
Parts of Waihi have sunk over the years because of voids left by old underground tunnels, and some buildings were physically moved to safer ground as a result. A heritage railway line runs between the town and nearby Waikino, where steam and diesel trains still carry passengers along the old route.
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