It runs between maymorn and cross creek, and follows 22 kilometres 14 mi of the original route of the wairarapa line over the remutaka range between the mangaroa valley and the wairarapa, including the worldfamous rimutaka incline. A resurgence of public interest in the incline followed the publication of a book in 1976 and the opening of the fell engine museum in the early 1980s, prompting the new zealand forest service to reestablish access to cross creek in 1984. Remutaka rail trail tourism information from destination wairarapa. He died 140 years ago today, aged 58, penniless and alone, in an almshouse in ashburton. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Rail tragedy on the remutaka incline new zealand history. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Apr 30, 2020 running from kaitoke to summit, the rimutaka rail trail links with the docmanaged incline down to cross creek in the wairarapa. Fell locomotives descend the rimutaka incline, oct. People wanted to sell their meat and vegetables to people in wellington and to get machinery and goods from the ships but there was a problem. After years of research and development, weve found these bikes to be the best overall fit for the remutaka cycle trai. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. On sunday, 27 sept 2015, marchers will walk from the featherston military camp site over the rimutakas to kaitoke remembering our wwi heroes. The rimutaka forest park trust began releasing north island brown kiwi into the park in may 2006.
Completed in 1878, the rimutaka incline on the wairarapa side is famous for the fell engines that chugged up the hill for 55 years, negotiating the steep 1. With a longtime interest in rail history under her belt, a book about the rimutaka incline was an easy choice. I recently biked the track from the maymorn side to the summit with a group of friends. Biking the rimutaka rail trail cristina sanders blog. Check out other day rides on the trail or ride the full trail. The rimutaka incline closes and the fell engines are retired when the 8.
Running from kaitoke to summit, the remutaka rail trail links with the. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. This was the first major loss of life on new zealands railways. Remutaka rail trail tourism information from destination. The rimutaka incline railway heritage trust is a nonprofit, charitable trust in new zealand that was established in 2003 with the objective of reinstating an operating heritage railway over the rimutaka ranges using the original route of the wairarapa line between maymorn and featherston, including the worldfamous rimutaka incline. The rimutaka incline section of the line over the rimutaka ranges between wellington and the wairarapa used the fell system on the steep 1 in 15 section, 4. Details of the troopships to the gallipoli campaign of ww1 and more ww1 naval history. Covers both the main lines and the smaller industrial railways and bush tramways as well as the rimutaka incline. The 22,000 hectare rimutaka forest park encompasses much of the rimutaka range, which divides the hutt valley from the wairarapa plains.
Here is a celebration of jerningham wakefield, a founding colonist of wellington. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. The rimutaka incline was an interesting experience for travellers, and before the hills were. Four children were killed and adults injured when two rail carriages were blown off the tracks by severe winds on a notoriously exposed part of the remutaka incline railway. The rimutaka crossing 19151918 memorial reenactment group. Explore the rimutaka inclines native bush and rail history, then shuttle down through the wairarapa to discover the wild coast trail from ocean beach to orongorongo. The city sights of lower and upper hutt are just a short detour away. Catchpool valley, 30 km from wellington, is the most popular entrance to remutaka forest park. The railway from upper hutt to the wairarapa included five tunnels, several large bridges and many steep grades. This track follows the former rimutaka incline railway line.
You can enter track from either end, the hutt side is a lot easier and more family friendly going up to the summit. Buy any experience now, book later with 3 years to use your voucher. The rimutaka incline over a hundred years ago more and more people came to the wairarapa to make farms with animals and vegetables for food. The book traces the trains journey up the incline during a particularly stormy night. Maymorn marks the 35km mark, from where the trail heads into bushy mountain foothills and follows the old rimutaka rail trail up to a spooky 576m tunnel and other historic relics near the summit. Rimutaka forest park the rimutaka forest park is a great place for camping and outdoor experiences, from easy walks to challenging wilderness hikes. We take capable modern mountain bikes then make them comfortable, with gel seats and adjustable geometry. The most challenging part of the railway was locating a route to descend from summit to the wairarapa plains, due to the steep and rugged topography on the eastern side of the rimutaka ranges. The weather was brilliant, the grades gentle and the track surface well maintained. Volunteers from the trust and local tramping groups spent two years controlling stoats in a hectacre area to provide a safe habitat for the release. The towns fascinating history is strongly linked to the railway and world war one.
It commemorates 60,000 new zealand troops who made the crossing between the military camp in featherston and hutt balley between 1915 and 1919. On 27 september 2015, as part of a reenactment of the remutaka crossing, a memorial was unveiled. The railway will be a unique tourist attraction for wellington and new zealand, and a major contributor to the regional economy. Book your tickets online for rimutaka rail trail, wellington. Camborne author irene swadling, 75, based her self. Price new from used from paperback, 1904 please retry. Completed in 1878, the rimutaka incline on the wairarapa side is. Prebook a shuttle to accommodation, towns and train services from cross creek with rimutaka shuttles.
Rimutaka incline map further to our post yesterday, here is a map from the fell museum of the incline showing the route of the old line, the walkway sections, the current line through the rimutaka tunnel and the state highway which is relevant to. It was the first ever kiwi translocation planned and executed entirely by an independent trust. A life bookended by the rimutaka incline s birth and demise is told in a new historical novel. A tragic accident in 1880 on the rimutaka incline leaves young ge. The term rimutaka incline is sometimes used incorrectly to refer to other parts or all of the closed and deviated. The rimutaka crossing 19151918 memorial reenactment group commemorating the march that 60,000 of new zealands first world war troops made over the rimutakas from featherston camp to upper hutt with a reenactment march and a memorial. Rimutaka incline railway heritage trust, upper hutt, new zealand. There are also entry points along the western lake road in the wairarapa at cross creek the start of the rimutaka rail trail, waiorongamai track, battery streampapatahi crossing and ocean beach. It is open to cyclists and walkers and runs between maymorn and cross creek.
If you are travelling as a group, tranz metro can increase bicycle carrying capacity but you need to book in advance. The rimutaka incline railway heritage trust aims to reinstate and operate a worldclass heritage railway between wellington and the wairarapa. Rimutaka incline railway heritage trust home facebook. We have the best rental bikes on the trail, at the best rates, guaranteed. We will follow this with the first article on the present day route from a historical perspective as there is still 65 years of history that has unfolded since the opening of the rimutaka deviation.
Steamship of new zealand shipping company, built in. In the mountain regions between the capital city of new zealand and the wairarapa plains, is a. Camborne author irene swadling, 75, based her self published novel cross creek return on the railway. Im writing a novel set in 1878 and one of my characters, lars, works on the incline. Maori history of the greater wellington region maramataka nga hapu. Due to continuing interest in the history of the railway over the rimutaka range, rimutaka railway has been revised and reprinted. Wonderfully evocative pictorial history of the new zealand railways as they transitioned from steam to diesel in the 1950s. Rimutaka rail trail lower hutt, new zealand landmark. The remutaka rail trail spelled rimutaka rail trail prior to 2017 is a walking and cycling track in the north island of new zealand. The special fell engines had two pairs of horizontal driving wheels set under the boiler for extra grip when climbing.
The journey even inspired a childrens book, freddy the fell engine. From petone foreshore it winds along the hutt river trail, a leisurely pathway through leafy urban areas and riverside reserves. Featherston is also home to the worlds only fell engine, surviving from the days of the rimutaka incline railway. The remutaka rail trail is a walking and cycling track in the north island of new zealand. For 77 years specially built fell engines climbed the rimutaka incline connecting wellington and the wairarapa. Fell incline, and the current kiwirail line through the rimutaka tunnel. The incline is a classic new zealand day cyclewalk. But before the drink got him, in his early twenties, he had been an extraordinary young man, a journalist, a rip roaring adventurer, the wellington wild boy of his time. The story of this remarkable railway is told in the following article.
It contains text from the first edition along with new chapters on. The museum complex on fitzherbert street is well worth a visit. One of the challenges for researching mangaroa station is that camerons book hardly mentions it. The threemile section of track between summit and cross creek on the wairarapa side of the range had an average grade of 1 in 15. Rimutaka incline railway building a sanctuary for steam. The climb up the ranges eastern flank, where the line rose 265 m in 4 km, required special fell mountain locomotives, which grip a raised centre rail with horizontal inner wheels. Fell locomotives descend the rimutaka incline, october 1955. Construction teams began work in 1951 using the latest tunneling machinery and holed through 14 months ahead of schedule. In 2011 the rimutaka incline railway heritage trust put forward a proposal to. It was this system that was used for the rimutaka incline. Rimutaka rail trail wellington 2020 all you need to. Suitable for fit beginners upwards, this wonderful oneway ride offers the full sweep of rail trail history and scenery. The rimutaka incline section of the line over the rimutaka ranges between wellington and the wairarapa used the fell system on the steep 1 in 15 section which was 4. Rimutaka incline this article does not cite any references or sources.
A life bookended by the rimutaka inclines birth and demise is told in a new historical novel. Rimutaka forest park environmental education resource. Remutaka rail trail greater wellington regional council. Aratois pathways, a brief timeline of the wairarapa. The rimutaka incline rail service by then the spelling mistake had become semiofficial continued until the end of 1955 when it was replaced by a long tunnel between maymorn in the south and lucenas creek, through which passenger and freight services continue to operate.
Its a fairly easy ride with lots of stops, packed with bush and mountain scenery and haunted with history. Jackie breen from the heritage team tells the story. The rimutaka incline, yesterday and today book, 1984. Rimutaka cycle trail highlights mountain biking adventure. There was once a steam railway here, linking the wairarapa and wellington. The remutaka incline, completed in 1878, was one of new zealands most ambitious early engineering projects. An order was placed with the avonside engine company, in bristol, england four engines were built. The rimutaka incline railway accident occurred on 11 september 1880 when the leading three carriages on a greytown to wellington train were blown off the track in strong winds near the siberia tunnel. Remutaka rail trail, end to end easy to intermediate maymorn to cross creek 25kms 34 hours maymorn to cross creek to featherston, allow 45 hours. The railway reached the summit of the rimutaka range by conventional means, but such a route could not be found to descend to the wairarapa valley. I went to cross creek in 1955 i was on the last excursion of those trains up the. The rimutaka rail trail is a walking and cycling track. Conquer the rimutaka if ya looking for a family day out or a nice ride with the mrs then this would probably cut the mustard. Rimutaka rail trail wellington all you need to know.