FORGOTTEN WORLD BY RAIL

Construction of the 150km rail link from Taumarunui to Stratford was started in 1901 and was scheduled to be completed within 10 years.  But in fact it wasn't finished until 1932; partly due to the large number of tunnels and bridges needed but also due to the lack of manpower following the outbreak of The Great War in 1914.

Today, 140km of the line have been mothballed by Kiwi Rail and a lease acquired by farmer and entrepreneur, Ian Balme to host his vision of self-drive railcarts journeying through the heart of The Forgotten World.

Our shuttle bus tracked us back along The Forgotten World Highway from Taumarunui to intercept the railway at the remote township of Tokirima.  During the trip our driver Ian told us about the business and the owners;  he was clearly proud to be part of the venture.  The proud boast is that, in this third year of operation, they expect to carry more passengers than Kiwi Rail!

At Tokirima, the station was opposite the school which has just 8 pupils!  No station buffet with cappuccinos or lattes here, but an excellent Kiwi style picnic laid on by the enthusiastic team from Forgotten World Adventures whilst we waited for the carts to arrive from the morning's outbound tour.

Kiwi lunch at Tokirima

After some nifty turntable work, the carts were all turned around and ready for us to drive them back towards Taumarunui.

Turning the carts around

Ready for crew change

Once again we were reminded of the isolation of this landscape; as the safety briefing included not just the location of the First Aid kit but also the location of the satellite phone and instructions for its operation!  This would be our only option for summoning emergency help.

We had chosen the 10 tunnels tour; the longest tunnel is 1.5km and the tour covers about 45km in total.

Our brilliant guide, Maree marshalled the convoy to halt at various points of interest along the line where she brought the Forgotten World back to life with human stories of townships that used to be bustling, of thriving industries now abandoned, of individual characters still resident and of the construction.

Hearing about the abandoned coal mine

In between stops, the convoy fragmented and at times such that you could truly visualise the isolation.

A unique experience and we thoroughly enjoyed our day.  And if you think 45km and ten tunnels may not be enough for you, there are multi-day options where you can cover the entire 140km of the line.