New attraction brings gold mining history alive
03 Oct 2007
New Zealand’s latest visitor attraction will tell the stories of the country’s gold mining history. A $20 million gold discovery centre is to be built in Waihi to attract more tourists and provide a mid-way stopover between the popular destinations of Auckland and Rotorua.
The Waihi Gold Discovery Centre is the story of gold in New Zealand. The town has a gold mining history and rich heritage that spans three centuries, from the 1880s, through the 1900s and into the present, says Newmont Mining Corporation’s regional director of environment and social responsibility Christine Charles. ''There are people involved in today’s modern operations with family ties to the early mining era. The Discovery Centre is an exciting and worthwhile project that will embody the spirit and true grit of a town and its people proud of its heritage and looking forward to a bright future'' says Charles.
The Waihi Gold Discovery Centre will take the form of an underground experience with the building being constructed and buried within the land. A tunnel-like portal with a travelator conveys visitors back through time via early mining images and audio bites to the exhibition area which covers the geology of the area, the Waihi landscape and early mining days.
The vertigo experience comprises a tunnel cantilevered over the Martha Mine pit. Doors open and close dramatically as visitors make their way down the tunnel before the magnitude of the mine is revealed as smoky glass underfoot clears. A gold pouring experience is provided by New Zealand Mint where visitors can see the magic of liquid gold. It is hoped visitors will also be able to handle bullion as part of this activity.
The project is a public-private joint venture between New Zealand Mint and the Vision Waihi Trust, a group formed to ensure the area benefits long term from the opportunities provided by the gold mine.
The centre is expected to open in mid-2009.
Further information:
Eddie Morrow
Chief Executive, Vision Waihi Trust
Phone +64 7 863 34274
Email eddie@waihi.org.nz
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