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Looking out from a prospectors drive on the tops - Bald and Kelly Ranges. - ALBUM -
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DescriptionPerry Range is an old name for the Bald Range for those that don't know. Perry was a miner/prospector.
Photo 1:Looking out from about 10m into a prospectors drive up on the tops. There is quite a bit of evidence of early mining/prospecting in the hard rock for gold up on the Bald and Kelly Ranges and down off the tops in the Taipo catchment.
Photo 2:Unless you know what you are looking for a lot of the mining relics on these tops could be passed off as being natural. How many would would pick this photo as showing a somewhat overgrown mine entrance?
Photo 3:Some clues in this photo.
Photo 4: Mullock heaps are give aways but to some they are just scree but not so!
Photo 5: Human not natural rock stacking. This U shaped rock shelter once housed a forge.
Map[1] ContributorGlenn Johnston
Photo 1:Looking out from about 10m into a prospectors drive up on the tops. There is quite a bit of evidence of early mining/prospecting in the hard rock for gold up on the Bald and Kelly Ranges and down off the tops in the Taipo catchment.
Photo 2:Unless you know what you are looking for a lot of the mining relics on these tops could be passed off as being natural. How many would would pick this photo as showing a somewhat overgrown mine entrance?
Photo 3:Some clues in this photo.
Photo 4: Mullock heaps are give aways but to some they are just scree but not so!
Photo 5: Human not natural rock stacking. This U shaped rock shelter once housed a forge.
Map[1] ContributorGlenn Johnston
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Location (city or town)Taipo catchmentBald and Kelly rangesEventLooking out from a prospectors drive on the tops - Bald and Kelly Ranges
Category Information
Category TagGoldminingmountaineering
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Date Created27th December 2020CommentsGlenn Johnston
Unless you know what you are looking for a lot of the mining relics on these tops could be passed off as being natural. How many would would pick this photo as showing a somewhat overgrown mine entrance?
Glenn Johnston
Some clues in this photo.
Glenn Johnston
Mullock heaps are give aways but to some they are just scree but not so!
Glenn Johnston
Human not natural rock stacking. This U shaped rock shelter once housed a forge.
Image may contain: plant, mountain, sky, outdoor and nature
Gav Schist
Glenn Johnston nice... is that the same one we talked about?
Glenn Johnston
Gav Schist It is one of the ones I came across about four years ago when searching for evidence of mining up there. This is not the structure you thought may be a stables/pony holding pen. There is evidence that this structure held a forge.
Gav Schist
Glenn Johnston a forge?
Glenn Johnston
Yes. Just removing a couple of rocks revealed a charcoal layer and some molten metal. Also scraps of unmolten metal. Levelled floor, low walls on three sides. IMO a workshop site that contained a forge, Probably canvas or calico roofed originally. (I didn't dig or disturb the site apart from rolling two rocks out of the way from what would have been the floor of the forge and I then put them back in place)
Gav Schist
Glenn Johnston stables are further along perry range, guessing above Dillons
Glenn Johnston
Perry Range is an old name for the Bald Range for those that don't know. Perry was a miner/prospector.
Arthur Bass
There was also a ski club on Kelly Range
Ian Selwood
Yep.. Ski Club was associated with West Coast Alpine Club
Gregory Ross
Ian Selwood That was the very first ski field in the South Island, if not in all of NZ. Into the 1960s and early 70s the old telephone line and crank phones were still in place alongside the tramping track up from Kelly Creek to Carroll Hut.Those phones were installed in the 1930s so that skiers could phone the hut from the road to find out the ski conditions up there, without hacvving to climb the 2 hours up to the open tops to have a look.
Ian Selwood
Gregory Ross I didn't know they had a telephone.. That's pretty advanced.. I think all I knew was that the ski tow was powered by a villiers motorcycle engine
Warner Nut Curry
That's a beauty
Trevor Alty
Me and a mate lugged our ski's up to Kellys hut, way back when I was a young fella. Bugga snow was little and Icey. It was obvious two others were staying in the hut, as their gear was there. Sleeping bags etc. Hunters. Came darkness, no hunters. Middle of winter, cold as, went up on the knoll behind the hut. Taking some hut firewood, and lit a signal fire. From far off came a call, hold the light. Half an hour later two flat land hunters turned up with a feeble torch, you couldnt see three feet with. Saved an SAR callout and possibly a couple of body's to be found. They frigged off next morning. We stayed on for the day. Weather came in late afternoon, just as we were about to descend and catch the railcar at the mouth of Kellys creek. Tramped down, ,snowing and darkness came in early. Had carbide lamps, melted snow in our mouths to feed them water. Got down to the road, it was under a foot of snow. So a long hard slog to Otira, as we were early for the railcar. Halfway down my mate just wanted to go to sleep. Frig Hypothermia. So fed him a raw lemon I had, kept him awake and I got him to Otira. Oil skin parka's in those days, but we both were wearing alpine clothing, wool etc. Never forget that trip Arthur.
Pat Cooper
Trevor Alty great story Trevor.
Trevor Alty
Oh yep. I was a member of the West Coast Alpine club then
Tamai Sinclair
Hi Trevor, great story.
Arthur Bass
I am sure I was shown scratchings for gold on Big Barron as well as Kellys Range ?
Glenn Johnston
Very likely, I haven't seen any there but I went up to the top of it from the Otira not Hunts Creek side. I've heard reports of historic mining/prospecting in Hunts Creek and old hut sites.
Unless you know what you are looking for a lot of the mining relics on these tops could be passed off as being natural. How many would would pick this photo as showing a somewhat overgrown mine entrance?
Glenn Johnston
Some clues in this photo.
Glenn Johnston
Mullock heaps are give aways but to some they are just scree but not so!
Glenn Johnston
Human not natural rock stacking. This U shaped rock shelter once housed a forge.
Image may contain: plant, mountain, sky, outdoor and nature
Gav Schist
Glenn Johnston nice... is that the same one we talked about?
Glenn Johnston
Gav Schist It is one of the ones I came across about four years ago when searching for evidence of mining up there. This is not the structure you thought may be a stables/pony holding pen. There is evidence that this structure held a forge.
Gav Schist
Glenn Johnston a forge?
Glenn Johnston
Yes. Just removing a couple of rocks revealed a charcoal layer and some molten metal. Also scraps of unmolten metal. Levelled floor, low walls on three sides. IMO a workshop site that contained a forge, Probably canvas or calico roofed originally. (I didn't dig or disturb the site apart from rolling two rocks out of the way from what would have been the floor of the forge and I then put them back in place)
Gav Schist
Glenn Johnston stables are further along perry range, guessing above Dillons
Glenn Johnston
Perry Range is an old name for the Bald Range for those that don't know. Perry was a miner/prospector.
Arthur Bass
There was also a ski club on Kelly Range
Ian Selwood
Yep.. Ski Club was associated with West Coast Alpine Club
Gregory Ross
Ian Selwood That was the very first ski field in the South Island, if not in all of NZ. Into the 1960s and early 70s the old telephone line and crank phones were still in place alongside the tramping track up from Kelly Creek to Carroll Hut.Those phones were installed in the 1930s so that skiers could phone the hut from the road to find out the ski conditions up there, without hacvving to climb the 2 hours up to the open tops to have a look.
Ian Selwood
Gregory Ross I didn't know they had a telephone.. That's pretty advanced.. I think all I knew was that the ski tow was powered by a villiers motorcycle engine
Warner Nut Curry
That's a beauty
Trevor Alty
Me and a mate lugged our ski's up to Kellys hut, way back when I was a young fella. Bugga snow was little and Icey. It was obvious two others were staying in the hut, as their gear was there. Sleeping bags etc. Hunters. Came darkness, no hunters. Middle of winter, cold as, went up on the knoll behind the hut. Taking some hut firewood, and lit a signal fire. From far off came a call, hold the light. Half an hour later two flat land hunters turned up with a feeble torch, you couldnt see three feet with. Saved an SAR callout and possibly a couple of body's to be found. They frigged off next morning. We stayed on for the day. Weather came in late afternoon, just as we were about to descend and catch the railcar at the mouth of Kellys creek. Tramped down, ,snowing and darkness came in early. Had carbide lamps, melted snow in our mouths to feed them water. Got down to the road, it was under a foot of snow. So a long hard slog to Otira, as we were early for the railcar. Halfway down my mate just wanted to go to sleep. Frig Hypothermia. So fed him a raw lemon I had, kept him awake and I got him to Otira. Oil skin parka's in those days, but we both were wearing alpine clothing, wool etc. Never forget that trip Arthur.
Pat Cooper
Trevor Alty great story Trevor.
Trevor Alty
Oh yep. I was a member of the West Coast Alpine club then
Tamai Sinclair
Hi Trevor, great story.
Arthur Bass
I am sure I was shown scratchings for gold on Big Barron as well as Kellys Range ?
Glenn Johnston
Very likely, I haven't seen any there but I went up to the top of it from the Otira not Hunts Creek side. I've heard reports of historic mining/prospecting in Hunts Creek and old hut sites.
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West Coast New Zealand History (28th Dec 2020). Looking out from a prospectors drive on the tops - Bald and Kelly Ranges. - ALBUM - . In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 12th Apr 2026 10:15, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28808