Rimutaka Incline activity cards
To the supervisor
As you lead your group on an exploration of the Rimutaka Incline, please ensure that the group stays
together, treats the environment respectfully and takes the opportunity to absorb as much information
as possible whilst enjoying this walk. These activity cards will help students to focus on the particular
themes that link to pre-visit and post-visit studies at school.
The map on the reverse of this card identifies suitable sites to use each card .
TAKE ONLY INFORMATION – LEAVE ONLY FOOTPRINTS – REMOVE ONLY RUBBISH
1. From Wellington to Wairarapa
Before the Rimutaka Incline railway track was built
people travelled from Wellington to Wairarapa by
walking around the coast or over the track where
the highway is now.
•
What route would you have chosen—around
the coast or over the hill? Explain why to
someone in your group.
The journey
was slow, as the
trains travelled up the
incline at a speed of 6 miles
(just under 10 km) per hour—
you could probably walk faster.
In fact, sometimes people did
jump off the train and run
or walk along beside
it for awhile.
People wanted easier access to the fertile plains
of the Wairarapa but the incline was steep for
a railway. No other railway in New Zealand was
this steep. A unique little engine was found that
could be used on a steep slope because of its
special braking system. The huge task of building
the Rimutaka Incline was completed in 1878. The
introduction of the fell engines opened the way
to Wairarapa for the people of Wellington and the
Hutt Valley.
•
Imagine you lived in Wellington or the Hutt
Valley in the late 1800s. In your group, or in
pairs, share at least 3 reasons why you might
you have wanted to travel to the Wairarapa.
2. The Fell engine
The Fell engines needed a community of workers
to keep them running. Workers and their families
lived in the railway community at Cross Creek.
The workers included:
•
Where would that material have come from?
How would it be transported to Cross Creek?
What resources would they have used from
this environment?
•
Drivers
•
•
Guards
Imagine you lived in an isolated community like
Cross Creek today. List the things you would
need and where you might get them from?
•
Stokers
•
•
Gangers
Children at Cross Creek had lots of fun in the
bush. Look out for places that would be good
to make slides or rope swings, go hunting or
walking, swim, or go fishing.
• Engineers
Fell
For each of the workers above, think
engines operated in
about the tools, equipment, material
only two other places in the
they would need to live here and to
world. The ones that operated on
carry out their work. In your group
the Rimutaka Incline were the
discuss:
longest serving.
3. Cross Creek – then and now
•
Compare the photo on the card (taken in 1955)
with what you see now.
DOC staff and Conservation Corps groups have
helped to clear gorse and broom and expose
many of the ruins from the days of the railway.
Investigate the ruins of the locomotive depot:
•
The engine shed (a large concrete slab
remains)
•
The engine inspection pit
The
Fell engines
travelled forwards up
the incline and came
down backwards.
• The tower
• The turntable - the engines were very well
balanced and could be turned around by
one person.
• The centre rail – important for grip to
assist braking on the incline. This centre rail
was unique to the Fell engines
Down the track to the eastern side of the railway
line you can find:
•
Tennis court
•
The school site on the other side of the stream
– 5 minutes walk through the bush.
Sketch one of the ruins listed above.
Some people are passionate about preserving
these ruins and a group has formed to reconstruct
the railway form Upper Hutt to Featherston. In
your group discuss:
•
Why people might value these ruins / this area.
•
List some advantages/disadvantages, for the
environment, of a heritage railway running
through this area.
On your trip today watch out for the technology
used to build structures for the railway. You might
see: tunnels, bridges, embankments and a vertical
culvert that channels water in and down a shaft.
4. Summit – then and now
This was where the engines had to be changed
from one end of the train to the other before the
descent to Cross Creek or Kaitoke.
Look at the photos of the summit on this card
and compare the vegetation cover with what is
here now. The bush around the summit area was
removed by land-clearing and fires. Fires were
often started by sparks from the steam engines. In
your group discuss:
Possums
munch through a
container load of native
bush in New Zealand
every night.
Summit, c. 1903.
Photo: A.P. Godber. NZ Railway & Locomotive Society archives.
•
What happens to the land and the wildlife
when the bush cover is removed?
When left alone the forest will eventually grow
again (regenerate) but this area had high numbers
of goats and possums.
•
As a goat or a possum living in this area, what
would you feed on and what effect would this
have on a regenerating forest?
•
As a park manager how might you deal with
problems caused by animal pests?
5. Siberia Valley – then and now
The native bush in the valley is flourishing now
that goat and possum control programmes are
in place. Scientists can check the health of the
forest by monitoring the range of plants (from
new seedlings to mature trees) and the number of
birds.
A fatal accident occurred here on 11 September
1880. A passenger/goods train was partly across
the embankment when a gust of wind blew
some of the wagons off the embankment—three
children were killed and 13 other passengers were
seriously injured.
•
•
What safety factors do you need to consider in
this area? List at least five risk management
strategies that your group is following.
•
Can you find any evidence of safety
precautions that have been taken to protect
people from the winds in this exposed area?
Stop and listen carefully. Count the number
of birds you hear while you count slowly to
30. Repeat this activity in another area of the
forest.
•
A large
rock and earth
embankment once filled
the gully so that trains
could cross.
Look for signs of interdependence in the
forest. How do birds depend on other living
things and how do birds support the
forest?
• If there were a lot of browsing animals
(possums, goats) in the forest eating
leaves, berries and young seedlings, how
would this affect the birds in the valley?
An artist’s impression of the fatal rail accident at Siberia
on 11 Spetember 1880. Sketches of the accident were published
in newspapers at the time, but the artists had not seen the
accident site so they used their imagination to illustrate the
accident. Photo: NZ Railway & Locomotive Society archives.
6. Who uses Rimutaka Forest
Park today?
Many people use the Rimutaka Forest Park for
recreation.
If you were a tramper, mountain biker, walker, dog
owner, camper (choose one):
•
What are the advantages to you of the old
railway track?
•
What impact would you have on this
environment? List some ways you could
lessen your impact.
You are a visitor to
this environment. Other
animal and plant species live
here all the time.
• How could you show respect for
other users of the park?
• Consider your impact on this area
today – are you leaving only footprints?
Department of Conservation workers, trappers,
and Rimutaka Forest Park Trustees are all working
to ensure that this forest park is preserved
for future generations to enjoy. They would be
interested in hearing your ideas about the area.
•
Consider improvements that could be made
that would make the trip more worthwhile for
school groups visiting the area.
•
When you get back to school write to
the Poneke Area Office, Department of
Conservation and share your ideas with them.