The Driving Creek Railway

During our two weeks in the Coromandel Peninsula, we decided to take a trip along the Driving Creek Railway, New Zealand's only narrow-gauge train ride.

The one-hour return Coromandel train ride takes you through replanted native kauri forest and includes two spirals, three short tunnels, five reversing points and several large viaducts as it climbs up to the Eye-Full (!) Tower at the top of the mountain.

The railway was started in 1975 as a way for the owner to get native clay and pinewood for his potteries which were at the base of the mountain. After 15 years of construction he decided to open his railway to the public, and has built three passenger trains and extended the tracks every year since then. As they harvest the pine trees which were planted by early settlers, they are replanting native Kauri trees which would once have covered the entire area in huge forests.

Check out this web site for an animated clip of the train route: http://www.drivingcreekrailway.co.nz/Train_Ride.cfm