Kawakawa celebrates 150 years of steam - and a whole lot more

Today's BOI Vintage Railway trustees - Sue Hamnett, Anne Leitch, Johnson Davis, Henry Nissen, Frits Schouten, Mike Bradshaw and Frank Leadley.

The discovery of good-quality coking coal in the swamp and bush area that is now Kawakawa in 1864 was a massive step forward for Northland, although no one at that time could possibly have foreseen the huge impact the discovery would have.

Good-quality coal was 'black gold' to the settlers, but only if it could be exported. So by 1868 a wooden tramway with a 4ft, 8 inch gauge was built, with horses to haul the coal to what is now known as Derrick Landing, where it was loaded into barges and taken to the 'loading ground, originally known as Newport, now the port of Opua.

Moa, a replica of the first carriage ever to carry passengers at Kawakawa, and in the North Island.

Horses and the wooden tramway line were replaced on January 28, 1871, by the first steam engine to run in the North Island. Puffing Billy was an Alexander Chaplin and Co engine built in Glasgow and shipped to New Zealand specifically to haul the Kawakawa coal.

'In partnership with Far North District Council and the Pou Herenga Tai Coast to Coast Cycleway, the trust is in the final stages of an application to the Provincial Growth Fund for what can only be described as one of the most significant developments for the Mid North in a very long time.'

The first engine, Puffing Billy, in 1874.

Historic day

Although there had been an excursion in 1868 whereby 90 people travelled in coal wagons from Taumarere to Kawakawa to view the mines, the really historic day was December 4, 1871, when this little steam engine was the first train in the North Island to carry passengers in a carriage. It was a very small carriage that could take only 12 people, but it was another momentous day for the region.

Work continued on extending the railway line to Opua, including the construction of the longest curved wooden bridge in the Southern Hemisphere, a hand-dug 80m tunnel, and extensive stretches of built-up embankments through coastal swamp.

Finally the railway line to Opua was completed on April 7, 1884, marking the start of another economic boom for the Mid North, with Opua becoming one of the busiest export ports in the country, holding records for the fastest loading of freight in New Zealand.
During the 1970s and '80s the railway line, now registered as a historic site, carried an average of 30,000 passengers per annum, with a record 50,000 in 1997.

Adam Girven, the first named Kawakawa train driver, and his wife Harriet.

Long Bridge was closed in 2000 as unsafe, and when the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust was incorporated in 2003 it inherited a railway in a state of total disrepair, but the trust and its many volunteers inaugurated another massive period of development. Nearly $5 million has been raised through grants, fundraising and operational activities, all invested back into infrastructure, rolling stock and buildings at Kawakawa and Taumarere.

As a result, the trust is now poised for another huge step forward that will have a very significant impact on Northland.

But 1868 was the start of this development, and now, 150 years later, the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust is commemorating our line's 150 years of history, from Friday to Sunday this week with a Celebration of Steam.

Unfortunately, our iconic steam engine Gabriel is still waiting for a new boiler to be constructed, but our friends at the Whangarei Steam and Model Railway Club have kindly lent us their splendid little wood-fired steam loco Seymour.

And thanks to the expertise and knowledge of Mike Bradshaw and his team of volunteers the trust has constructed a replica of that very first carriage. All our carriages are named after birds, and this one is Moa — a species long extinct.

Another train trundles through Kawakawa's main street, in 1906.

From Friday to Sunday the railway will run its normal four trips each day to Taumarere and return, but will be fitting in two shorter trips, with Seymour pulling Moa (which can still take only 12 passengers). If you can't get a seat, there will be great historic photo opportunities.

And the large carriage shed will be open for visitors who wish to be shown around the workshop and see some of the restoration work still to be undertaken.

Plans aplenty

There is a massive amount of excitement still to come. In partnership with Far North District Council and the Pou Herenga Tai Coast to Coast Cycleway, the trust is in the final stages of an application to the Provincial Growth Fund for what can only be described as one of the most significant developments for the Mid North in a very long time.

The project includes two steam engines, two more carriages, and significant building development at the Kawakawa railway station; a large, multi-purpose railway and cycleway terminus at the area known locally as the Colenso Triangle, at Opua, including railway and cycle shops, a large café, showers and toilets, electric car charging facilities, a turntable and water tower, restored wetlands, car, bus and motorhome parking.

The project's third component is the restoration of the historic railway line between Taumarere and Opua, together with a cycleway within the railway corridor.

The plan is to build on cruise ship numbers and growing tourism in Northland to provide strong operational links involving the railway, cycleway, the Opua marina, Hundertwasser Park, the steam ship Minerva (which is being restored in Kerikeri), the Kawiti Caves and other attractions linking right across to the Hokianga.

It will be an exciting, family-friendly experience.

The business case has been peer-reviewed and enthusiastically endorsed. When fully operational the project will provide up to 25 jobs, and will be a catalyst for other developments. In terms of tourism and employment it will be a great economic boost for the region.

The trust is eager to recruit new volunteers at this stage, many of whom may go on to permanent employment when the project comes to fruition. And as a charitable entity the trust has committed to return profits back to the community in ways such as vocational and educational scholarships.

So we can think back to 1864, with the discovery of coal and the wooden tramway with its horses, and particularly the first passengers who built on that start in 1868. Now, 150 years later, you are welcome to celebrate that event as we look back at significant developments in our history.

Even more importantly we invite the whole community to support us as we build on our history and look forward to another great economic, cultural and historic step for the Mid North.