I had an awful start to this hike. Google maps brought me down a frozen farm lane and expected me to swim across a raging river in the middle of winter so the curse words and screams of terror coming from my car as I reversed and slid along the icy ground were not pretty! I was close to giving up as I drove back along the road I had come, still trying to find the track, but I am so glad I pushed on and did it!
I love tracks that are different, that have unique features and Invincible Gold Mine track in Glenorchy ticks all the right boxes.

The Basics
Length: 4 – 5km, depending on how much you walk around the old mine
Toilet available: No
Dog friendly: No
Phone reception: No
Views: 9/10
Difficulty rating: 5/10

Getting There
If you enjoy going in the wrong direction and swimming across freezing cold, fast flowing, glacial rivers then just google map the directions for this hike. If, however, you are picky like me and don’t want to die an untimely and unnecessary death then listen up!
Drive out of Glenorchy township following the sign pointing towards PARADISE. Keep your eyes peeled for REES VALLEY ROAD. It is a smaller gravel road heading off to your right. Drive down this road for about 20-30 mins.
If you zoom in on Rees Valley Road on google maps it does actually show you the start of the hike, it absolutely will not map you to it for some reason though! No matter what I typed in, it kept directing me to across the river and telling me to swim back.
You will have to drive over 2 small fords, these are little rivers and are well signposted. Once you pass the second ford you are 10 seconds from the start of the track so slow down and look for a safe place to park. The track is very narrow and only has 2 safe places that I could see to park so be aware of this so you don’t end up reversing back down the gravel road and into a tree like I did (cue more screaming and cursing).

The Track
The track is wide and well marked but it is steep. I went in June and it was icy and slippery in parts. The areas through the forest were well protected by the trees overhead but there were quite a few trees down that I had to climb over. You will be trudging steadily uphill for just over 2kms when you reach the sign for the Invincible Gold Mine Reserve. A green and yellow warning sign on your left will mark the way to the historic mine. Be careful and respectful at all times in this beautiful place.
Built in the 1800s, the abandoned relics are so amazing to see. There is info on arrival and lots of little trails to follow to see the different pieces.
When you are finished soaking in the history of the place, the trail continues further up the hill. Only a few paces up there is a huge rock which is a great lunch spot with incredible views of the water below.
(Although if you followed your google maps you will probably still be soaked from that river and may be sick of seeing it 😂)

Top tips
-There is no phone reception so do all the research needed to get there safely before you go.
-Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back.
-Make sure you are in a car that can easily do 2 ford crossings, they were very small when I was there but keep in mind changes in weather/heavy rain.
-Wear appropriate footwear with good grips and layer up if you are hiking in winter.
-My knees were hurting on the way down so bring poles if this is an issue for you.
-I have detailed videos saved to my Instagram highlights if you want to see the track before you do it.

Stats
When I was researching the track it said it was a 3-4 hour hike, personally I did the track in under 2 hours and mapped it at 4.9km at a leisurely pace.

I hope that helps!

Happy hiking.

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