Between 1906 and 1908, the Ohakune Old Coach Road created an integral link between the two railheads, enabling horse and coach journeys before the rail was completed. One of the final elements of the main trunk railway on the North Island was the Hapuawhenua Viaduct.
A distinctive cobbled route, huge steel viaducts, a curved tunnel, railway bridge ruins, and old campsites are heritage features on the trail (“Ohakune Old Coach Road”, 2020).
The trip also brings tourists through some lovely native forest stands with sweeping views across the district.
The road remained in use until the beginning of 1909 and fell into disuse after the completion of State Highway 49. It has remained largely intact since, although in 1987 some parts were lost due to the diversion of the railway.
The road can be considered to be the most important example of the heritage of road engineering and the finest rural road ever built in New Zealand. For the time it was used as the link between the two railhead ends, it has great historical significance. It was frozen in time by the end of the useful life of the road and, aside from the inevitable degradation it has experienced since its use ended, it is in relatively good condition. It has the Historic Places Trust’s Category I Historic Places status (Commission, 2006).
History and Viaducts of Hapuawhenua and Taonui
For coaches carrying passengers and goods between the two main traffic lanes of the Northern Island railway, Ohakune Old Coach Road provided the all-weather road. The road provided a route for traffic before the rail lines were eventually connected in 1908 while we were completing the North Island main trunk slow (“Search the List | Hapuawhenua Viaduct | Heritage New Zealand”, 2020).
It followed largely a trail of bridle tracks completed in 1886 and converted to dray track in 1895 (except for that segment to Taonui Viaduct). The building has been retrofitted from 1904 to 1906, primarily covered with rock pavers, and has a long-lasting all-weather surface for the heavy traffic of horses. In November 1906 it was finished, when it was 39 kilometers between the railways.
The road was used until early 1909 and fell into disuse with the completion of the State Highway 49. It has remained largely intact since, even though some parts were lost by the 1987 railway deviation.
The viaduct of the Taonui shares many of the characteristics of the nearby viaduct of Hapuawhenua. It has also been designed by Peter Seton Hay and shares the same buildings and the single curved form. The scale (140m long and 35m high), the aspect, and the fact that it is constructed on 1 and 60 gradients, are virtually different.
The Taonui Viaduct is not currently being reconstructed for use by the visitors. As a side path of the Old Coach Lane, access to the Viaduct will be restored.
Current Status
The department has re-opened the Ohakune Old Coach Road as a bike path along the Ruapehu-Whanganui Trail in collaboration with Ohakune, 2000. On the way to the Northern Bridge, the Hapuawhenua Viaduct, and several bogs along Whanganui Road this trail can carry cyclists through Tangier and Whanganui National Parks.
This wonderful multi-terrain bike route is part of the New Zealand Cycle Trail and offers a nice historical family-friendly cycle. The km track blows under the cool canopy on the lower slopes of Mount Ruapehu and provides a rare opportunity to penetrate one of the few remained parts of the Northern Island virgin forest.
In the early 1900s, the trail was designed to carry horse-trained passengers between the two railway heads of the North Island unfinished route. When the railway was finished, the paved road became obsolete and almost 100 years lost to the forest.
Ohakune Old Coach Road has been becoming popular among cyclists and walkers since 2002 as a result of its rediscovery and restoration, because of its variety, its rich history, and the unique occasion of cycling throughout the impressive viaduct in Hapuawhenua. This became the first wooden curved train bridge in the world at the beginning of the 1900s.
The territory varies considerably along the way, from well-built paths of various widths to the original paved lane. After heavy rain parts can be particularly slippery and sluggish. If you are less confident on a bike, you are recommended to seek advice before cycling on this route.
The route followed today
Cyclists and Tourists follow the footpath from the station to the Mangawhero River and take the Old Station Lane. They follow approximately 1,5 km and take Marshalls Road to the right. Rongokaupo Wetland is located about 350 meters before Marshall’s road car park, and a picnic area, a community project under construction. From the parking lot, the track continues (Designhand Limited & Designhand Limited, 2020).
The track parallels the Ohakune Old Coach Route and crosses rolling fields with views of the Ohakune Basin from the car park. It goes then to the Hapuawhenua viaducts into the native bush. The pathway is still noticeable with cobblestones (sets). Exploring the tunnel of Hapuawhenua and appreciate the construction of the previous one. Before they descend into Hapuawhenua Valley, it rises to the ridge. Kahikatea, rimu, mataī, and ponga are good stands along the road. The two viaducts are seen from this point.
The cycle trail to Horopito is accessible from the west end of Hapuawhenua Viaduct. Before coming out on the original Old Coach Route, the path crosses a beautiful section of the native bustle. This is called the Skyline part, which can be very few kilometers
The trail passes the old quarry which fitted most of the pine for paving as the old road was converted to a coaching road in 1905.
References
Commission, P. (2006). Conservation of Australia’s Historic Heritage Places. SSRN Electronic Journal.
Designhand Limited, N., & Designhand Limited, N. (2020). Ohakune Old Coach Road – Welcome. Ohakunecoachroad.co.nz. Retrieved 15 November 2020, from http://www.ohakunecoachroad.co.nz/.
Ohakune Old Coach Road. Doc.govt.nz. (2020). Retrieved 15 November 2020, from https://www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/places-to-go/central-north-island/places/tongariro-national-park/things-to-do/tracks/ohakune-old-coach-road/.
Search the List | Hapuawhenua Viaduct | Heritage New Zealand. Heritage.org.nz. (2020). Retrieved 15 November 2020, from https://www.heritage.org.nz/the-list/details/7271.
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