Baileys Gully’s eroded gold workings make for an easy 4 km loop past collapsed tunnels, rock tailings and old water races, taking about two hours. I found the sluicing face the most striking part, and Menzies Dam adds good history if you’ve got energy to spare. No toilets, no water, dogs on leash only.
Quick facts
Parking at Bannockburn Sluicings
From Cromwell, head onto Bannockburn Road and cross the bridge over Lake Dunstan after about 5.9 km. Take the first road on your left, Felton Road, then follow it roughly 1.9 km to the Bannockburn Sluicings Historic Reserve carpark. There’s no toilet or water at the carpark, so sort both before you leave Cromwell.
If you’re short on time, several viewing points are reachable by car and some short walks here take as little as 10 minutes. If you want to make a longer day of it, Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail Ebike Hire And Luxury Transfer Back To Cromwell is a good match for the same active, scenic stretch of Central Otago.
From the carpark to Stewart Town
The track starts to the left of the notice boards at the carpark. Within a few minutes you’ll hit a turnoff. Keep right and you’ll head toward Stewart Town via Baileys Gully and onto the sluicing face, which is where all the good information boards are and the most interesting part of the whole walk. Take a torch if you fancy poking into one of the old tunnels.
Most of the tracks through this reserve cross private property, so stick to the marked track and the formed roads, and leave any gates exactly as you find them.
From the sluicing face it’s a short, sharp climb back up onto the main terrace, where you get a proper look down into the valley and understand just how big this sluicing operation really was. Hundreds of grapevines now grow on the slopes above. Past here the track leads on to Stewart Town and the old smithy workshop, where the resident blacksmith once repaired broken tools and leaky water pipes for the miners. From the smithy it’s about twenty minutes back to the carpark, mostly downhill.
Menzies Dam and the sluicing technique
Driving in, it’s obvious this is a desert made by people, not nature. Gold was first found in Baileys Gully in 1862, and mining around Bannockburn carried on for 50 years after that. Miners used a technique called hydraulic sluicing, blasting high pressure water at the hillsides to strip away the soil and expose the gold underneath. What’s left is 150 years of rock tailings, collapsed tunnels and caves, untouched since the last miners walked out.
In 1868, John Menzies and David Stewart built Menzies Dam to sell water to the miners for their sluicing operations, and ended up making more money than most of the miners did. The dam would freeze over most winters, giving the miners a break from the diggings to try their hand at ice skating and curling instead.
Is this walk suitable for families?
Yes. It’s an easy, well signed 4 km round trip with only one short climb, so most families manage it fine, and kids tend to like the tunnels and caves. There’s no wheelchair access though, the ground gets rocky in a few spots, and there’s no water on the track, so bring your own.
Best time to walk Bannockburn Sluicings
Central Otago gets properly hot in summer with no shade out on the sluicings, so an early start or a late afternoon walk is more comfortable. Winter mornings can be frosty but the light on the eroded faces is worth it. Either way, bring sun protection and a hat. If you want to make a full day of it, book a Full Day Hop on Hop Off Wine Tour Bannockburn / Cromwell for afterwards, a relaxed way to see the local wine region once you’re off the track. If you’d rather stay on foot or saddle up, a Top Hill Two Hour Horse Trek, Cromwell is another good way to see this same high country from a different angle.
Dogs, gates and staying on track
Dogs are welcome on leash. There are no toilets or water at the carpark or along the track, so plan ahead. Mobile coverage is good out here if you need it. Most of the land around the sluicings is private property, so stay on the marked track and formed roads, and always leave gates as you found them.
Common questions
Can I extend the walk to the Long Gully Track?
Yes, via Stewart Town, but Long Gully Track is only open to the public on Sundays and Mondays, and it closes entirely from 1 October to 30 November each year for lambing.
Can I fly a drone over the sluicings?
No, not without authorisation. Drone use anywhere in the Bannockburn area, including this reserve, needs a DOC permit.
Are dogs allowed at Bannockburn Sluicings?
Yes, on leash only.
Is there a toilet at the carpark?
No. There’s no toilet and no water at the carpark or on the track, so go before you arrive and carry your own water.
What equipment did the miners use for sluicing?
They used high pressure water, directed through races and pipes from dams like Menzies Dam, to blast the hillsides apart and expose the gold underneath, a method known as hydraulic sluicing.
My honest take
I’ve walked this one myself and the entrance had me doubting it, it just looks like a bare, scraped out gully from the carpark. But once you’re in among the tailings, tunnels and caves it turns into a properly interesting couple of hours. The sluicing face is the standout section for me, and Menzies Dam is worth the short extra climb if you’ve got the legs for it. Track quality is very good with plenty of signage, just watch your footing where it gets rocky.
If you want to keep the gold rush theme going afterwards, the Pure Gold Experience Tour, Goldfields Mining Centre extends the same history into a hands on mining experience nearby. Or if you’d rather wind down with something calmer, a Carrick Winery Tour & Tasting makes a good reward after an easy two hour walk.
Other walks near Bannockburn
If you’re exploring more of Central Otago’s gold mining history, these are worth adding to your trip:
- St Bathans Gold Mining Village, another well preserved gold era settlement further north.
- Around Blue Lake Loop Walk St Bathans, a short loop around the striking mining lake next to the village.
- Mountain Bike Track Millers Flat Lake Onslow Road, for those wanting to swap boots for wheels further south.
Back to Cromwell Walks for more walks in the area.
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