If, like us, you like your walks to have some industrial heritage, delightful scenery, tunnels, bridges, waterfalls and a swingbridge then this one is a must do.
At the small township of Ngakawau, 35km north of Westport on State Highway 67, The Charming Creek Walkway is a legacy of the West Coast's mining activities. But in this area it is black gold rather than the gold encountered through the Buller Gorge en-route from the north.
The walkway follows the route of a disused railway line that was used to bring coal and wood down from Charming Creek. But the original tracks remain to guide you along the raging waters of the Ngakawau River gorge. The only gaps are where the occasional landslip has buried the rails or a washout has sent them down the gorge.
With the limited gradient of the railway trackbed, this is an easy walk and the 4km to the waterfall is reckoned to take around an hour. It probably took us much longer than that as there were so many delightful photo stops.
A strong candidate for our favourite walk so far; an absolute charmer.
Mangatini Falls
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