An easy circuit to historic Booth’s Cottage and along the Porika Track makes an excellent day out in Nelson’s big backyard.

This trip starts in Howard Valley just after a low ford of Louis Creek. Head west up the wide 4WD road to enter the public conservation estate and native forest. About 1.5km on a short side-track on the right drops down to the Louis Creek fossicking area. Recreational gold mining is allowed here using a crowbar, pick, pan or sluice box.

Continue straight ahead past a private dwelling for 500m until the track reaches the confluence of two streams. The river bank is eroded here, so cross carefully to reach the ‘Jewellers Shop’ on the far bank. This was the ambitious gold claim of Charlie Smith, who spent seven months building a dam and water race in the upper reaches of Louis Creek. From 1915 about 150 men were employed here, and the remains of a tin hut and mine tailings can still be seen. It’s a pleasant spot to rest in the sunshine among moss-covered boulders. 

A steady 1.5km climb then sidle on the Louis Creek Goldfields Track  brings you to restored Booth’s Cottage in a large, sunny clearing. The unique four-roomed cottage was built in 1933 during the Depression by Sid Booth and Ray Clarke and for over 10 years was the home of Sid and Eva Booth and their son Teddy. The elongated dwelling was constructed from beech slabs over pole beech framing with a corrugated iron roof. Inside it exudes a musty ambience, with dusty furniture and old implements.

Above the hut, climb gently up a broad ridge of open beech forest. The NZFS marked the track with permolat a long time ago, but recent mountain bikers have made the ground trail quite obvious. After half an hour of wombling through gorgeous forest you reach a proper track followed soon after by Porika Road, which climbs from the shores of Lake Rotoroa. 

You might encounter the odd gold prospector camping in their caravan or staying in one of the private roadside cribs. Watch out for the stone cairn memorial to a veteran miner named Raymond Gibson. Behind this monument are the remains of a camping area among cypress trees and mixed beech/podocarp. 

The final hour is an easy 5.6km stroll down Porika Road to Howard Valley Road, then 1.5km back to the car.