Gold was discovered at Golden Cross in 1892, and an underground mine operated there from 1895 to 1920, extracting over 2.5 tonnes of gold from about 160,000 tonnes of ore. The area reverted to farmland after the mine was closed, until the new Golden Cross Mine started operating in late 1991. The new mine operated as both an open-cast and an underground mine. The mine closed again in late 1997 – early 1998 after extracting 18 tonnes of gold and 52 tonnes of silver. Water from the mine site is still being treated, and the tailings dam is still present.
The mine site is about 12 km from SH2, and accessible at the northern end of Golden Cross Road, an extension of Waitekauri Road, off SH2 between Karangahake and Waihi. Old Waitekauri Rd and Campbell Rd also connect SH2 to Waitekauri Rd. There is a large parking area at the mine site, but no other facilities. The access gate near the end of Golden Cross Rd is opened at dawn and closed at dusk each day.
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