Remutaka Cycle Trail | Time Out 2021-22 Wellington
Woke up to 'Wellington on a good day' for my last ride of this road trip. After a DIY motel breakfast, I chucked the bike in the car and headed back to Maymorn, Upper Hutt, (where I turned around on Thursday) and the start of the rail incline section of the Remutaka Cycle Trail.
Remutaka Cycle Trail | Incline Rail Trail Section
The Remutaka Cycle Trail | Rail Trail Section follows the old railway to the Remutaka Hill summit and famously steep, for a railway, incline down to Cross Creek, Wairarapa. There are two great on-line guides in addition to the superb Great Rides phone app which I use while riding:
- Remutaka Cycle Trail Great Ride | nzcycletrail.com
- Remutaka Cycle Trail | WellingtonRegionalTrails.com
- Remutaka Cycle Trail | Great Rides App
From Maymorn the trail is wide gravel, normal rail gradient on this side, and after some climbing in the 'Tunnel Gully Recreation Area' you get to Maymorn tunnel (221m), the first of many.
There was a mountain bike race on tracks around the trail, marshals were controlling the crossings.
A short (quiet) road section in Kaitoke passes Kartsport's track, was fun watching a few practice laps.
Awesome views towards Kaitoke Regional Park
Back on the trail proper you steadily climb towards the summit.
Another tunnel...
This is a bend in the river, not wide-angle lens distortion!
Legacy of the railway means you go through bluffs, not over them. At the summit there are some relics of the industry that was once here.
I didn't stop at the summit, saved that for the return journey.
Summit Tunnel
The Summit Tunnel is 584m (0.36mi) long and very dark, lights essential!
A small waterfall at the exit is pretty and nicely cools the air. The larger light in the tunnel is another cyclist's headlight and the tiny dot below it is the far end.
Siberia Gully
The Siberia Gully lookout gives a magnificent view of the incline descent.
The 90m Siberia Gully swing bridge makes traversing the creek much easier. Previously you had to descend steep trail to the creek and carry your bike over it. That option remains if it is too windy to use the bridge.
Siberia Gully was the site of a tragedy in 1880 when a train was literally blown off the tracks of the section which used to span this gap. From here there's a fun, fast, descent ~260m to the former rail yard at Cross Creek. No photos, too much fun, and plenty of chances for that on the way back.
Cross Creek
Saved exploring Cross Creek for the return journey, a short 'more like single track' trail connects the former railyard to the Cross Creek trail carpark and trail end.
Leaving Cross Creek car park, view towards Lake Wairarapa.
Remutaka Views heading towards Featherston in search of lunch!
Featherston
Featherston is a small rural town on State Highway 2, quite a mix of stores and a great rail museum.
Love this old Firestone advert on a local garage.
Lunch stop
Had a lovely lunch—eggs benedict with thick cut ham on individual potato rösti and great coffee—at Everest Café, Featherston. Sadly, as I write, going by their Facebook, it has since closed.
Heading back
The trip back was retracing my path. Back to the hills, heading for the top somewhere up there.
There's still rail crossing the Remutaka Ranges, the Wairarapa Line passes through a long tunnel which made the incline obsolete.
Lake Wairarapa, to the coast beyond but not for me. The trail continues along the coast (blue line on map below) and usually connects to Petone.
If you’re coming from the Ocean Beach (Wairarapa) side, from Turakirae Head you’ll turn north to the mouth of the Ōrongorongo River, where the Remutaka Cycle Trail officially ends and the Wainuiomata Coast Road takes you back to Petone. | Wild Coast Trail section - WellingtonRegionalTrails.com
When I was riding "Coast section (Ocean Beach–Orongorongo River) is closed due to a large slip approximately 1.5km west of Corner Creek campsite in the Wairarapa. The track is currently unsafe to cross. Remutaka Cycle Trail Great Ride (nzcycletrail.com)" so it was back over the hill for me.
Cross Creek has lots of history info on the incline and the remains of the station, maintenance facilities, and marshalling yards.
The Remutaka Incline Railway site has a diagram and details on the 'Fell centre-rail System'. It uses a smooth raised rail, not the toothed rail some systems have. It allowed the more direct incline route with a 'gradient of 1 in 15, far steeper than the normal maximum gradient of 1 in 35' and operated until the direct 8.93 kilometres (5.55 mi) long Remutaka Tunnel opened in 1955.
Left for me!
Incline history...
Looking towards Siberia Gully you can see the line through the bush where the incline traverses the hill.
My favourite tunnel photo...
Siberia Tunnel looking towards Siberia Gully.
Siberia Gully
Named for the combination of wind and cold which made being here in winter miserable. There's remains of an old locomotive cab beside the trail which was used for shelter in the blizzard like conditions.
Siberia Gully swing bridge
View up the gully from the bridge. The trail used to go down and cross this stream.
On this panel I learned I rode up about the same speed as a loco!
Summiting again
Late afternoon light exiting the Summit Tunnel.
Spoke to this rider; a local out after a long riding break who said the summit and back was enough for him today.
Love looking at these old technical drawings, as much art as documentation.
A furnace or giant pizza oven?
A lovely evening descent...
How riding a trail two ways is like riding two trails, compare this vista with the earlier photos going the other way.
Weathered wooden truss bridge.
Tunnels and views...
Back through Maymorn tunnel...
Last part in the evening sun, a contrast to yesterday's ride!
Maymorn: Trail Finish & last ride!
Remutaka Cycle Trail, Maymorn finish and my last ride on this South Island Road Trip. A lovely gentle downhill in the sun, perfect end to a perfect last ride (for now).
Since leaving Auckland I've done 37 rides totalling ~2,500km! About 1,600km was on En-Trance (Mtb), ~770km on Giro (Gravel bike) and 170km on the rented bike at Roxburgh. Tomorrow, I head home, for whatever is next.
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