About the Walking Trail

Follow the Journey to Gold Walk to the Chinaman’s Well historic site to find the stone well and associated quarries, natural waterhole and learn about the history of the gold rush.

The interpretive signs explain the life and difficulties the Chinese faced as they travelled to the Goldfields in Victoria.

Carved blocks of limestone came from the Limestone Quarry which the Chinese immigrants used to construct Chinamans Well. It is believed there was enough stone excavated at this site to build at least three wells, supporting the belief that Chinamans Well is one of a series of wells in the region. How would you move an 1,000kg slab of sandstone 900 metres and then lift it 1.5m off the ground to place it on top of the well? Today we would use a forklift, but in 1850 this was one of the problems faced by the Chinese.

Fresh water was essential for the exhausting journey that that the Chinese took to reach the Goldfields in Victoria. Chinamans Well was one of several wells used to source water along the route.

The 25km Nakun Kungun Hike departs near the Chinamans Well and Waterhole, it heads northwards.

If you start from the northern carpark, you can do a 900 metres walk to the Chinamans Well and back. If you continue south past the Eating House ruins to the Limestone Quarry and Sandstone Quarry this will add a further 900 metres (and if you then return on foot back to the carpark, that will be a 2.7km walk.)

The Friends of the Coorong provide detailed information about the walk.