The innovative fell mountain railway system pulled trains up the steep slope of the remutaka incline. Remutaka rimutaka cycle trail 3day adventure green. Soak up the varied landscapes and history of the wellington region as you wind through the foothills of the remutaka range from petone to the mouth of the orongorongo river. Rimutaka cycle trail highlights mountain biking adventure. The official opening of a rail trail using the formation of the original railway line from cross creek to kaitoke followed in 1987.
The name remutaka was originally given to the ranges by haunuiananaia as part of a journey of discovery across the southern north island and refers to the place where he sat and gazed on the land. The flagship of the remutaka cycle trail, this trail is suitable for riders of all levels. Visit rimutaka rail trail on your trip to wellington or new. Its excellent for families with children who can be coaxed along by the next railway ruin, old rail bridge or tunnel definitely take a torch. The rimutaka rail trail is now a key piece of the whole rimutaka cycle trail. Remutaka rail trail tourism information from destination wairarapa. A rail route established in 1878 between the hutt valley and featherston carried passengers up the steep incline from the remutaka summit to featherston until the opening of the remutaka rail tunnel in 1955. Cycle remutaka exists to bring your remutaka cycle trail adventure to life your. Visit rimutaka rail trail on your trip to wellington or. Search the list remutaka incline rail trail heritage new zealand.
This part of the trail follows the historic rail tracks that were once plied by the unusual fell locomotives as the principal route north on the east coast of the north island. The remutaka rail trail is an easy mountain bike ride or hike along a feat of railway engineering. The flagship daytrip of the remutaka cycle trail, this is suitable for riders of all levels, and can be lengthened or shortened to suit you. Rimutaka cycle trail wellington tramping and mountaineering. Remutaka rail trail greater wellington regional council. The remutaka rail trail is a gently graded 18 km bike ride close to wellington. 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. Day 2 trace the historic remutaka rimutaka rail trail to cross creek in south wairarapa. The rail trail rises from 254m above sea level at the start, along a steady gradient feb 16, 2016 the rail tunnel under the range opened in 1955, leaving the railroad grading for the rimutaka rail trail. Parts of the trail are also used by vehicles both from the regional council and from forestry companies with tree plantations in the area. If you are travelling as a group, tranz metro can increase bicycle carrying capacity but you need to book in advance. From the head of wellington harbour, the rimutaka cycle trail cuts through the bushclad rimutaka mountain range, passing through tunnels on an old rail trail, and skirting around the wild southern coast.
Running from kaitoke to summit, the remutaka rail trail links with the docmanaged incline down. The remutaka cycle trail connects wellington with wairarapa, winding through a variety of stunning landscapes. With its rich history, luxury facilities and stunning hospitality, the royal hotel is the. After emerging in the wairarapa, famous for vineyards and sheep farming, the trail follows a country road past lake wairarapa to ocean beach. One of new zealands great rides, this 115km trail is rich in history with diverse terrain rideable by most people. Rimutaka cycle trail wellington, new zealand youtube. The rimutaka cycle trail is a great way to explore the landscapes and history of the wellington region. Riders will then cross the northern tip of the rimutaka range on the rimutaka rail trail, one of the most popular and historic trails in the region. Its a fairly easy ride with lots of stops, packed with bush and mountain scenery and haunted with history. Book your tickets online for rimutaka rail trail, wellington. We have the best rental bikes on the trail, at the best rates, guaranteed.
There is a variety of accommodation on the trail check these out and book. All inclusive oneday tours of the remutaka cycle trail and beyond. It is also the spot to rest, recover and refuel after biking the nearby rimutaka cycle trail, a great ride on nga haerenga, the new zealand cycle trail. Journey from petone along the hutt river, over the historic railway line through. Inspired by h 199, joy cowley authored hero of the hill in 20. Depart wellington for an easy day ride with an adventurous edge.
The featherston heritage museum explores the history of the featherston military camp. Why youll love us the best bikes the best food the best service testimonials. Pitch a tent, cosy up in a cabin or book a bed and breakfast just around the corner from petones. Note these recommendations are based on riders completing the whole remutaka cycle trail or the loop and thus are set to cover the most demanding situations. As the hooligans run, they grab gold coins out of the air while simultaneously dodging collisions with railway cars and other objects, and can also jump on top of the trains to evade capture. The trail weaves through the remutaka ranges taking in historical sights along the way. Stunning scenery, amazing and important historical and. The rimutaka rail trail is managed by doc from one end and wellington council from the other end. You will enjoy the thrilling descent into the wairarapa valley. The recently completed track upgrade of the rimutaka rail trail has added width to the.
Remutaka rail trail cycle tour from wellington 2021. The book traces the trains journey up the incline during a particularly stormy night. Oct 26, 2017 the trail passes through 5 tunnels and a rugged landscape along a historic path. You will be collected from your nominated wellington address in the morning and shuttled to either maymorn for a 25km, slightly more challenging ride or kaitoke for an 18km easy ride. A beautifully crafted book with amazing photography by peter andrews showing central otago as it truly is, one of the most rugged, extreme and beautiful locations on the planet. It is today one of the more popular recreational facilities in the region and forms part of the remutaka forest park. Visitors to your site will appreciate you offering them help with planning their vacation. Learn about the railways history thanks to the excellent storyboards along the way. Remutaka rail trail new zealand motor caravan association. This is followed by a nice, 7km downhill ride on the remutaka rimutaka incline into the beautiful wineregion of wairarapa.
For 77 years specially built fell engines climbed the rimutaka incline connecting wellington and the wairarapa. Get to know the wild side of wellington and the wairarapa on this cycle trail and ride around the remutaka ranges and pacific ocean coast. The rail trail passport also contains a rail trail map marked with the location of shelter sheds. The trail follows the hutt valley through lower hutt and upper hutt with. Biking the rimutaka rail trail cristina sanders blog. Riders will then cross the northern end of the rimutaka range on the rimutaka rail trail, one of the most popular and historic trails in the region. Suitable for fit beginners upwards, this wonderful oneway ride offers the full sweep of rail trail history and scenery. From wellington harbour, the trail circumnavigates the rimutaka rangea mountainous forest park dividing the lower north island into the wellington and wairarapa regions. May 01, 2015 we stopped for the night above upper hutt and set off early next morning for the rimutaka rail trail. The trail is well signposted throughout, but riders should carry a map and.
Spectacular scenery and interesting sites along the way. 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. Te rakau sleep in a converted train carriage and go bird watching the. Beyond the valley the trail enters the tunnel gully area in the pakuratahi forest on what was once the main railway line between wellington and the wairarapa. You dont need to be an olympic cyclist to do it we saw a group of older people one being 80 years old on the trail at the summit. The single most important resource when travelling the central otago rail trail.
I recommend that before setting out you consult the rimutaka rail trail section of jonathan kennetts hugely popular nz cycle trail book, because it will prepare you for the delights revealed as you make your way along the route. Built in 1878, this rail route between the hutt valley and featherston is now a gently graded 18 km. Special events, such as the weekly hunt, can result in. Maymorn marks the 35km mark, from where the trail heads into bushy mountain foothills and follows the old remutaka rail trail up to a spooky 576m tunnel and other historic relics near the summit. Ride the rimutaka cycle trail with an electric bike. In 2011 the rimutaka incline railway heritage trust put forward a proposal to. South of summit on the wairarapa side, the remutaka rail trail includes the famous incline to cross creek, 10km from featherston. Remutaka cycle trail accommodation tourism information. Remutaka cycle trail, wellington railway sta, pipitea. A good route is to follow the rimutaka cycle trail. You can learn a lot about the circumstances people lived about 100 years ago. We swooped along wide gently sloping old rail less tracks abbreviated by five dark tunnels one 583m long and two restored bridges built around 1876. Remutaka rail trail explorer fully supported day trip. It runs between maymorn and cross creek, and follows 22 kilometres of the original route of the wairarapa line over the remutaka range between the mangaroa valley and the wairarapa, including the worldfamous rimutaka incline.
Complete our survey and go into the monthly prize draw to win cycle books. Cyclist get to know the wild side of wellington and. This is great section to freewheel 7km from the rimutaka summit to the open space of wairarapa also known as the rimutaka incline and once the scene of fell locomotive trains doing the hard grind uphill connecting. The town also is strongly linked to world war one the area hosted a large military training camp. The rail trail rises from 254m above sea level at the start, along a steady gradient sep 17, 2015 the rimutaka incline is now one of the 10 most significant railway heritage sites in the world. We love these sort of rides that take us back in time. It has all the advantages mentioned above, plus users to your site can conveniently access it directly on your site. The afternoon leads you over the remutaka rimutaka rail trail, through several historic tunnels to remutaka rimutaka summit 348m. Starting on the edge of wellington harbour, this diverse trail winds up the leafy hutt. You can enjoy learning about the early history of this region, take a dip in the clean pakuratahi river, creep through 5 tunnels and whizz down hill. This is great section to freewheel 7km from the rimutaka summit to the open space of wairarapa also known as the rimutaka incline and once the scene of fell locomotive trains. Contact us today to book your rail trail passports. Get away from wellington or wairarapa and explore the remutaka rail trail.
Catch the wairarapa line train to maymorn station in upper hutt. Cycle through native, birdfilled forest, over bridges and through tunnels while enjoying views of the natural landscape and the old railway system. We returned to the petone wharf to check the official map of the trail for the official start of the trail. Or you can enter the wairarapa end of the rail trail via cross creek road off western lake road, south of featherston. Bike hire, cycle tours, accessories, shuttles and bag transfers, info and advice. I had 3 days of bliss, riding the rimutaka rail trail. The remutaka rail trail is a gently graded 18 km bike ride its also a hugely popular walk. For best results, use the customized trip planning widget for rimutaka rail trail on your website. The ride starts at the petone foreshore, incorporating the hutt river. 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 line opened in 1878 and and stayed in use for over 70 years, until the rimutaka rail tunnel opened. May 07, 2019 part of the rimutaka cycle trail, the rail trail winds its way to the summit, following the old track that used to carry steam and fell engines. 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.
Getting to the start of the trail was a bit of a mission because i didnt have a car but mainly because of all the trail closures that i wasnt aware of despite researching my route extensively. The city sights of lower and upper hutt are just a short detour away. The trail whizzes down to cross creek in the wairarapa, wellingtons rural neighbour, where eager riders can detour to featherston or martinborough. Its a short ride from the streets of maymorn to tunnel gully recreation area, where riders leave suburbia and head through a series of bushy trails, quiet roads and the historic 221m maymorn tunnel to reach the historic remutaka rail trail a highlight of the entire cycle trail and an everpopular day ride for.
Running south from featherston and cross creek youll find. Rimutaka incline wellington, new zealand alltrails. Jul 06, 2017 had a challenging but great 3 days cycling the rimutaka trail. Aug 26, 20 the rail trail follows the old wellington to wairarapa railway line up over the rimutaka ranges from kaitoke in upper hutt to cross creek in wairarapa and on to featherston. Before we started our ride on the rimutaka cycle trail stuart and bernard at the start of the trail.
Remutaka rail trail located in remutaka forest park in the wairarapa region view saved 0 built in 1878, this rail route between the hutt valley and featherston is now a gently graded 18 km walk, run or mountain bike ride, with opportunities for camping, swimming and fishing. Remutaka rimutaka rail trail cycle tour from wellington unguided. Remutaka cycle trail tourism information from destination. Remutaka rail trail 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. Rtb is a wairarapabased band with its roots in country music. Catchpool valley, 30 km from wellington, is the most popular entrance to rimutaka forest park. Head to silverstream retreat or a handful of other upper hutt bed and. From petone foreshore it winds along the hutt river trail, a leisurely pathway through leafy urban areas and riverside reserves. Pre book a shuttle to accommodation, towns and train services from cross creek with.
Remutaka rail trail mountain biking trail upper hutt. This was the first major loss of life on new zealands railways. Rail tragedy on the remutaka incline new zealand history. This makes it an ideal trip for families with children. Rimutaka rail trail wellington 2021 all you need to know. Remutaka rail trail run and walk sports event facebook. Remutaka rail trail tourism information from destination.
Shelter sheds were constructed at cross creek and summit, and several picnic areas along the route. The rail trail is a gently graded 18 km walk or mountain bike ride. Rimutaka rail trail wellington 2021 all you need to. This is one of wellingtons most popular and achievable day rides. The trail traverses petone, lower hutt city, upper hutt city, remutaka ranges. We would like to show you a description here but the site wont allow us. Rimutaka rail trail and the wairarapa calling us down. A bike ride from kaitoke to the summit takes about an hour. This steeper 1 in 15 grade section is managed by the department of conservation as part of the remutaka forest park. Starting on wellingtons doorstep, this trail winds through the rimutaka ranges to the wairarapa valley and the mouth of the orongorongo river. Discover the remutaka areas rich rail history and natural beauty on an easy, allinclusive, 6 hour mountain biking day trip. The worlds only fell engine a survivor from the days of the rimutaka incline. The rail trail rises from 254m above sea level at the start, along a steady gradient rail trail guide book this is the single most important resource you can own if you plan to travel the central otago rail trail. A proposal mooted in the mid 1980s for a walkway between cross creek and kaitoke culminated in the opening of the rimutaka rail trail on 1 november 1987, a joint project between the wellington regional council and the department of conservation.
The rimutaka cycle trail follows riverside cycle paths, a historic rail trail, quiet country roads and a coastal route used by drovers in the 1840s. Prairie holm cottages set in beautiful gardens on a working dairy farm. We take capable modern mountain bikes then make them comfortable, with gel seats and adjustable geometry. Remutaka cycle trail nga haerenga new zealand cycle trails. A photograph of a postcard showing a train with four engines travelling up the rimutaka incline. The day was perfect with a hint of autumn in the air. At 115km long, the whole trail is a bit of an undertaking for one day, and it is suggested to take two or three days to complete it. The remutaka rail trail is a walking and cycling track in the north island of new zealand. Rimutaka cycle trail ebike adventure tours of new zealand. A rail route established in 1878 between the hutt valley and featherston carried passengers up the steep incline from the remutaka summit to featherston until the opening of the rimutaka rail tunnel in 1955.
Explore the flagship trail of the rimutaka cycle trail by mountain bike and discover the rich rail history and natural beauty of the rimutaka ranges. You can walk, run, mountain bike, camp, swim, fish, picnic, and even take your fourlegged friend along the gently graded 18 km trail. Remutaka cycle trail and rail trail two cyclists in tunnel. Nov 20, 2017 we get off through the tunnel at maymorn station and are back 5 hours later after a glorious day cycling the historic rimutaka rail trail. Its also one of the most popular and historic and photogenic tracks in the wellington region. Advance booking is recommended regardless of the time of year. Experience all the very best bits of the incredible rimutaka cycle trail. The innovative fell mountain railway system pulled trains up the steep slope of the rimutaka incline. Ride the rimutaka cycle trail with an electric bike ventureout. It is most easily ridden with your own bikes and transport, parking at kaitoke car park, but its also possible to hire bikes from the top 10 holiday park in near petone and catch the train to maymorn. Pakuratahi forest greater wellington regional council.
389 400 930 7 1295 966 1358 275 1282 1025 1329 365 994 793 761 1056 683 1063 831 1513 207 412 286 997 945 744 556 309 1225 1321 1269 994 1041 1226 66 1423 1075