Riding the Rails - Day 2

Day two of our adventure dawned rather misty, and we had an early morning start meeting at 6.30am for bacon and eggs for breakfast in the dining room.

 

Misty morning in Taumarunui

But we were assured that the sun would soon break through and we set off to the start of our rail trip.  Into the bus we went, to get taken to the start of our day’s adventure, where we were allocated our self drive rail carts, after a safety briefing.  We were to travel 82kms along the rail line, through 20 tunnels, stopping at long abandoned towns which once were alive and thriving.

All keen and eager to start

As we had been assured, the mist cleared with the promise of a hot, sunny day.  With a guide front and back, we entered our first tunnel.    Although stopping in tunnels was not allowed, we had been told, there was an exception made for this one, the longest on the line at 1.525km.  Half way through we came to a halt, and the guide told about the history of the tunnel.  Then we were asked to switch the carts off and we sat in pitch blackness, marveling that all these tunnels were dug by hand so long ago – and the fact that starting this one  at each end, the tunnellers managed to meet in the middle.

The longest tunnel on the track

What’s this beside the rail track?  Shades of “Goodbye Pork Pie”, it’s that little yellow mini trying to get to Invercargill.

We chugged along, enjoying the scenery, passing sheep, cattle and wild turkeys.  Clattering over a multitude of small bridges, and under road bridges, sometimes with the traffic hurtling above our heads.

It was sad to think that each little stop along the way used to be a small thriving town in earlier years as the rail line was constructed, but is now desolate and deserted.  As well as housing the railway workers, there were dairy factories and stockyards, schools, sawmills and hotels, even a brickworks utilizing the natural clay.  The Egmont Box Company used stands of Kahikatea (white pine) to make packing boxes to send New Zealand butter exports to Britain.

We stopped at Tokirima for lunch where everything was set out for us – ham, salad and fresh bread for sandwiches, home baking for afters, and hot and cold drinks supplied. 

 

Lunch stop at Tokirima

Patrons going on other trips also gathered here for lunch, before we all continued on our respective ways.  We were continuing down the line to Whangamomona while others were heading back to Taumarunui.  Just as well there was a dinky little turntable to turn the carts around.

The turntable

Continuing on our way we went through tunnel after tunnel, some so short we could see right through them, and over more small bridges.  The cabbage trees were in flower, and it was so nice, chugging along in the sunshine.

Three decades of back breaking work – interrupted by WW1 and the Great Depression, came to an end on 7th November 1932 when the rail lines from Stratford and Taumarunui were joined at Heao.  4,000 people watched as Prime Minister GW Forbes drove in the last spike.  The first train was ready to leave from Heao’s new station,  and excited spectators placed coins on the track to get mementos.

The last spike

There was an unexpected stop was further down the line where there had been a recent rockfall.  Our guides made sure that the rail lines were clear before we continued on – so that was why he had the spade with him.

Rock fall

Care needed to be taken as we crossed over the road just before we reached our destination of Whangamomona.  This was the most difficult and expensive rail line in New Zealand’s history.  The full length of 142km travels over 98 bridges, and through 24 tunnels, using 9000 tons of rail and 260,000 sleepers.  It was started in March 1901 and finally completed in November 1932.

Our final stop was the historic pub at Whangamomona where we all gathered for refreshments.  And there’s the bus waiting to take us back to Taumarunui along the Forgotten World Highway.

Day Two concluded with a tasty roast dinner in our motel dining room – what a great day we had.