2. The Victoria Battery

Once an earth-rumbling battery, now a stop on the Hauraki Rail Trail, the Victoria Battery is just one of the many mining remnants in the area. Ore from the Waihi mine was transported 8km via rail to the battery at Waikino, the small township between Waihi and the Karangahake Gorge. There 200 stampers constantly smashed the rock to smithereens. These days all that remains is hulking rusted bones of the thriving industry that ran until the mid-1950s. It's a steel and rock graveyard, where visitors can wander through the grassy field and run their hands over parts of machines that once crushed 812 tonnes of ore per day into a sand-like texture. The Tramway and Museum Society is the caretaker of this area and operates a 1.2km tramway that rambles through the ruins and along the Ohinemuri River.

The Society also guides underground tours through the kiln tunnels and runs a small museum. The battery is open to the public, and the society operates tours Wednesday, Sunday and on public holidays. Waikino. 021 080 88043, vbts.org.nz