After dropping down from Cluden Hill, State Highway 8 in Otago follows the Lindis Valley for five km. At the valley’s north end, just before it enters a rocky gorge, there is a signposted turnoff onto Old Faithful Road. This takes you to a DOC campsite in Nine Mile Reserve. Here, you’ll find the ruins of the historic Lindis Hotel and the place of the first gold rush in NZ.
Old Faithful Road was the original road through the valley and gorge. It rises 40 metres above the river, providing a nice view. After four km, it opens into Goodger Flat at the north end and crosses a farm to Nine Mile Reserve. From there, you can also access the river.
It was here that the first gold rush occurred in NZ. John Turnbull Thomson, the first European to explore Lindis Pass, discovered gold in 1857, but no one paid any attention. In April 1861, a road crew member and ex-Californian gold prospector, Samuel McIntyre, found gold nuggets in the river bank. 300 prospectors were camping in the area within a month, but it was over almost before it began.
A month later, easier and richer Gabriels Gully near Lawrence was discovered, and early winter weather was intolerable. Chinese miners had a go in the 1890s, and in the 1930s, the government subsidised gold mining during the Great Depression. One miner, Wattie Thompson, did hang on until a flood washed out his claim in the early 1970s!
The hotel was more successful. It started as a store in 1861 and, by the 1870s, was an established stopping point on the road. Additions were made, but in the 1930s, the road was rerouted to the other side of the river. Hence, the nearby Faithful Bridge became derelict. The hotel was a private residence until its abandonment in 1951.
You can also access the Lindis Peak Track at the head of Old Faithful Road. Allow up to three hours to climb about 800 metres to fabulous views from the peak at 1226 metres. Mountain biking is also popular on various 4WD tracks around the mountains.
