Paul Mahoney (left) gets a lesson on rail tractor operations from expert Laurie Weller. Photo / DoC
Paul Mahoney (left) gets a lesson on rail tractor operations from expert Laurie Weller. Photo / DoC
The last time Laurie Weller had taken a shovel to the ground near Tūroa he was removing tracks from the Bennett and Punch forestry tramline when it was scheduled for closure in 1960.
This week, the 98-year-old accepted an invitation to complete the turning of the first sod - kari ana te whenua - to mark the start of construction on Te Ara Mangawhero the 21km trail project undertaken by Ruapehu iwi Ngāti Rangi.
Dave Kereti, manager of the Pae Whakahaumaru group within Ngāti Rangi, will be leading the Te Ara o Mangawhero project and was on hand to assist Weller with the groundbreaking ceremony.
“Most of the trail winds along the historic Bennet and Punch tramline,” Kereti said.
“Te Ara o Mangawhero has a range of important environmental and ecological features such as podocarp forests, trout spawning waterways, and rare plant species,” Kereti said.
“Ruapehu WorX, working alongside Edifice Structures, will be installing a series of bridges over the Mangawhero River and its tributaries, providing a unique lens into the beautiful forests around us.”
It is predicted the completed trail will be used by around 41,000 people annually.
Laurie Weller breaks ground for the first stage of work on the Tūroa to Ōhakune trail assisted by Pae Whakahaumaru manager Dave Kereti. Photo / RDC
Weller’s memory is said to be phenomenal but he doesn’t hear too well on the phone.
He designated Department of Conservation (DoC) historic heritage manager Paul Mahoney who has documented many of his recollections to talk to the Chronicle on his behalf.
Mahoney said Weller worked at the Bennett and Punch Sawmill and drove engines on the tramline after he returned from overseas service at the end of WWII. He is now the only living person able to recall working for the logging operation.
“Laurie had been working as a truck driver and made deliveries to the sawmill,” Mahoney said.
“One of the owners, Mr Punch, told him he was wasting his talents working as a driver and effectively poached him from his truck driving job.”
Weller’s ability to recollect details of events during his lifetime in the district had led to several interviews, Mahoney said.
“I first met him in 2015 and he was driving from Ōhakune to Turakina Beach to go fishing quite often then.”
Weller worked for Bennett and Punch for 13 years and was tasked with removing the tramline tracks in 1959 before the operation shut down.
“He enjoyed working there and that area from Tūroa to Ōhakune means a lot to him,” said Mahoney.
“Back when the area was surveyed for forestry, they reserved a scenic area. At least 2km of the trail runs through a beautiful forest area that has never been logged. Laurie is very happy about Ngāti Rangi’s plans to conserve the area while providing new eco-tourism opportunities.”
Mahoney said the transport machinery used by Bennett and Punch was mostly intact and the small diesel locomotives called rail tractors had been used to transport logs on the line from 1933 to 1959.
“The owner of the most modern one driven by Laurie in the 1950s kindly gave us permission to visit. Laurie explained how it worked, recalling how he kept himself safe while driving it on the steep grades.
“I could see that it brought back some fond memories for him.”
The most modern rail tractor at work on the Bennett and Punch tramline in 1956. Photo/DoC
At the ceremony on Tuesday, Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton acknowledged the pioneering work of people like Weller and the many people and organisations who had worked over many years to get the project off the ground.
“Since the original idea for a hiking and cycling trail between Tūroa and Ōhakune it has been a long, and at times difficult journey, for everyone who believed in what Te Ara Mangawhero could deliver for Ngāti Rangi and the local community,” he said.
“That we gathered to celebrate the project getting under way was a testament to the hard mahi of a lot of people who have wanted to see Te Ara Mangawhero succeed.”
Kirton said the council had been very happy to be able to support Ngāti Rangi in undertaking the project which represented a significant milestone for the iwi’s aspirations as tangata tiaki of the area.
Te Ara Mangawhero is one of eight sections that connect the Mountains to the Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride, as part of the wider Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails.
Mountains to Sea champion Lynley Twyman said it was thrilling to celebrate the groundbreaking stage of Te Ara o Mangawhero.
“We are pleased to celebrate this iwi-led trail project on Ngāti Rangi rohe, conserving and showcasing the unique environment and sharing the stories of this incredibly special place,” she said.
Te Ara Mangawhero received government support from the Provincial Growth Fund (managed by Kānoa, MBIE’s regional economic development and investment unit), Ruapehu District Council, and the New Zealand Cycle Trails Extension and Enhancement Fund to activate the development of shared-use trails between two sections of Te Ara Mangawhero.
