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 wanted easier access to the fertile plains people travelled from Wellington to Wairarapa by of the Wairarapa but the incline was steep for walking around the coast or over the track where a railway. No other railway in New Zealand was the highway is now. this steep. A unique little engine was found that could be used on a steep slope because of its • What route would you have chosen—around special braking system. The huge task of building the coast or over the hill? Explain why to the Rimutaka Incline was completed in 1878. The someone in your group. The journey introduction of the fell engines opened the way was slow, as the to Wairarapa for the people of Wellington and the trains travelled up the Hutt Valley. incline at a speed of 6 miles (just under 10 km) per hour— • Imagine you lived in Wellington or the Hutt you could probably walk faster. Valley in the late 1800s. In your group, or in In fact, sometimes people did pairs, share at least 3 reasons why you might jump off the train and run you have wanted to travel to the Wairarapa. or walk along beside it for awhile.
2. The Fell engine
The Fell engines needed a community of workers • Where would that material have come from? to keep them running. Workers and their families How would it be transported to Cross Creek? lived in the railway community at Cross Creek. What resources would they have used from The workers included: this environment? • Drivers • Imagine you lived in an isolated community like Cross Creek today. List the things you would • Guards need and where you might get them from? • Stokers • Children at Cross Creek had lots of fun in the • Gangers bush. Look out for places that would be good to make slides or rope swings, go hunting or • Engineers Fell walking, swim, or go fishing. engines operated in For each of the workers above, think only two other places in the about the tools, equipment, material world. The ones that operated on they would need to live here and to the Rimutaka Incline were the carry out their work. In your group longest serving. discuss:
3. Cross Creek – then and now
• Compare the photo on the card (taken in 1955) Down the track to the eastern side of the railway with what you see now. line you can find: DOC staff and Conservation Corps groups have • Tennis court helped to clear gorse and broom and expose • The school site on the other side of the stream many of the ruins from the days of the railway. – 5 minutes walk through the bush. Investigate the ruins of the locomotive depot: Sketch one of the ruins listed above. • The engine shed (a large concrete slab Some people are passionate about preserving remains) these ruins and a group has formed to reconstruct • The engine inspection pit the railway form Upper Hutt to Featherston. In your group discuss: • The tower The • Why people might value these ruins / this area. Fell engines • The turntable - the engines were very well travelled forwards up balanced and could be turned around by • List some advantages/disadvantages, for the the incline and came one person. environment, of a heritage railway running down backwards. through this area. • The centre rail – important for grip to assist braking on the incline. This centre rail On your trip today watch out for the technology was unique to the Fell engines 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 • What happens to the land and the wildlife from one end of the train to the other before the when the bush cover is removed? descent to Cross Creek or Kaitoke. When left alone the forest will eventually grow Look at the photos of the summit on this card again (regenerate) but this area had high numbers and compare the vegetation cover with what is of goats and possums. here now. The bush around the summit area was • As a goat or a possum living in this area, what removed by land-clearing and fires. Fires were would you feed on and what effect would this often started by sparks from the steam engines. In have on a regenerating forest? your group discuss: • As a park manager how might you deal with problems caused by animal pests? 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.
5. Siberia Valley – then and now
The native bush in the valley is flourishing now A fatal accident occurred here on 11 September that goat and possum control programmes are 1880. A passenger/goods train was partly across in place. Scientists can check the health of the the embankment when a gust of wind blew forest by monitoring the range of plants (from some of the wagons off the embankment—three new seedlings to mature trees) and the number of children were killed and 13 other passengers were birds. seriously injured. • Stop and listen carefully. Count the number • What safety factors do you need to consider in of birds you hear while you count slowly to this area? List at least five risk management 30. Repeat this activity in another area of the strategies that your group is following. forest. • Can you find any evidence of safety • Look for signs of interdependence in the precautions that have been taken to protect A large forest. How do birds depend on other living people from the winds in this exposed area? rock and earth things and how do birds support the embankment once filled forest? the gully so that trains • If there were a lot of browsing animals could cross. (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 Department of Conservation workers, trappers, recreation. and Rimutaka Forest Park Trustees are all working to ensure that this forest park is preserved If you were a tramper, mountain biker, walker, dog for future generations to enjoy. They would be owner, camper (choose one): interested in hearing your ideas about the area. • What are the advantages to you of the old • Consider improvements that could be made railway track? that would make the trip more worthwhile for • What impact would you have on this school groups visiting the area. environment? List some ways you could • When you get back to school write to lessen your impact. You are a visitor to the Poneke Area Office, Department of this environment. Other • How could you show respect for Conservation and share your ideas with them. animal and plant species live other users of the park? here all the time. • Consider your impact on this area today – are you leaving only footprints?