Londonderry Rock in Hokitika

It can be a bit sketchy going down the gravel hill in a small car, but you can make it. If youre unsure, just park up top and walk an extra 100m down there. The only disappointment is the amount of graffiti on the rock.

For historys sake, its worth a visit once.

A very interesting walk! Beautiful scenery and the historical aspect make it well worth it. Fitness level doesnt matter as its only a 10 minute walk. Off road track leads to a small car park

A glacial erratic is a rock that has been transported by a glacier and deposited on bedrock of different composition.The one at this location is approximately 14 metres long and 8 metres high and thought to weight around 3000 to 4000 tons.The last glacial period (ice agefor New Zealand was around 13,000 to 20,000 years ago. Sea level was about 100 metres lower than at present. Glacier ice was also more extensive, with several large glaciers reaching beyond the present West Coast of the South Island.The rock was dislodged by the miners sluicing for gold during the 1880s and fell to its current resting place with such a ‘thud’, an earthquake type shudder that it apparently shook, and stopped the local post office clock.This rock was too large for the miners to move or break up, so it has been here ever since.A gravel road takes you along the Kapitea water channel to the car park where it is a short walk through regenerated forest between large piles of tailing stones.  This area was mined extensively and the rock tailings (smaller rockswere all manually lifted and moved by hand. Try lifting one of the smaller rocks, it is back breaking work!A moraine is material left over behind by a moving glacier. Where you find a moraine you have the possibility to find gold! Anywhere that a glacier once covered the landscape has the potential to have deposited gold.When the glaciers finally melted they left behind huge piles of boulders, rocks, and debris that contained gold and other important minerals. This gold is what is referred to use glacial gold. Glacial gold is still subject to the same natural erosion that alluvial gold is once it has been deposited.The Taramakau glacier transported and deposited this huge boulder which is called the "Londonderry Rock" during the last ice age. It is located between Kumara and Dillmanstown. Over 700,000 ounces of gold have been extracted from this area. In todays money that is worth $2 billion dollars! It should be called the golden nugget.

Huge rock, said to be 4000 tons. When it fell it stopped the Post Office clock in Kumara. A short 20min walk from the carpark to see it.

Great short walk (20mins max)

It’s a short walk but it is a quite cool to go and see

Amazing

Big ol rock in the middle of nowhere

Not worth the effort to find. I didn’t even realise this was the rock until I got to the end and saw nothing else. The forest walk is similar to other better tracks around the area so unless you’re fascinated by rocks, I suggest skipping this one.

Rocky walks with a huge boulder at the end. Short walk. Lots of birds

Its a very nice rock....

Nice wee walk to a very big boulder.

Its just a big rock, with a lot of small rocks around the area.Unless youre a geologist, this might not be tour thing.

Huge rock just a short walk off the Wilderness Cycle Trail.

Interesting

Rock is amazing.

Intetesting story on how it got there. Difficult to get an all on picture. So a must see with your own eyes. Sad that some see the need to tag it.

Huge rock hard work holding here

The short walk to the Londonderry Rock is pretty good. Its only about 15-20 minutes but it passes through some lovely forrest and the sides are scattered with remnants of the gold mining days. You do need to be reasonably sure footed as the track goes up and down some rocks stairs and a few uneven places. Nothing too difficult though. The rock itself is massive. Its hard to imagine this is just a single boulder the glaciers of ages ago carried to this spot. Its worth a look if youre in the surrounding areas but probably not worth a trip on its own. Unfortunately fools have put graffiti in a few spots. Its not too bad but does spoil things. The trail head is pretty easy to find and we parked our RV up the top near the canal as the gravel road to the carpark looked a bit dodgy. Should be ok for most vehicles though.

Great especially after a flood !! Excellent for photos.

Its like a big rock. Big and rocky. You wouldnt want it rolling over you.

It is a rock. Down a track. You cant climb on it. Why did we stop and get out of the car?!? Ignore the hokitika tourist map and drive on.

Worth the short walk

Its just a rock folks, not a particularly big one either. If you really like big rocks go to Castle Hill and walk there.

Nice story behind the walk.

Not worth it.