A unique homegrown railway

Our visit to the Driving Creek Railway was the highlight of our visit to the Coromandel and something that I had been looking forward to for a fair few years. It proved to be every bit as extraordinary as I hoped.

The story of this unusual railway began when potter Barry Brickell (1935-2016) bought a hilly 22 hectare plot of land in the Coromandel and started a homegrown narrow-gauge railway to transport clay around his site, which eventually extended to 3km. Although it began as a solo effort Barry attracted many others as word spread. The line was opened to the public in 1990, some 17 years after it began, allowing the public to share in Barry’s unique vision.

Driving Creek Railway

The 15″ gauge line was mostly built by hand and includes eight bridges/viaducts (one of which is a double-decked), three tunnels, two spirals and five reversing points on the climb up to the peak by railcar. The steepest climb on the line has a gradient of 1 in 15. It’s damn impressive.

On a ride up the line (one hour return) you get to see some of the pottery sculptures that have been installed along the route, take in some spectacular views and generally marvel at this unusual creation. I particularly liked the tunnel which has immortalised the faces of those who worked with Barry, including our driver, in pottery form.

The journey starts by passing through the brickworks and the railway workshop where the earliest locomotives, such as Mouse (1978), can be seen. It’s not the easiest line to photograph, so it’s much easier to just sit back and enjoy the ride through the lush forest of regenerating kauri, rimu and ferns. With your ticket you get a super line diagram too that helps you follow your progress along the spirals, switchbacks and bottle lined walls.

Once you reach the top of the line you can stretch your legs and admire the views from the Eyefull tower (completed October 2003) at 178 metres above sea level, whose design was inspired by Bean Rock Lighthouse in the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland. The panorama of islands stretched out between Te Kouma and Whangaparāoa looked marvellous from the balcony at the top of the tower.

Barry died at the age of 80 in 2016, but his creation lives on as a much loved railway, pottery and conservation park, drawing tourists from far and wide. Long may it continue to delight visitors.

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A short trip to the Coromandel

Our plan to take a trip to the Coromandel unravelled somewhat in the wake of the terrible news that emerged from New Zealand in January and February, when extreme weather felled trees, caused severe flooding and triggered landslips that cut many of the roads across the region. After some reflection, we opted to continue with a shortened version of our trip, following the request to avoid some roads that were available only for essential travel.

I feel for the businesses in the area that have lost money from a succession of compromised summers and now have to cope with the devastation wrought by Cyclone Hale, the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods, Cyclone Gabrielle and the three week long state of emergency that followed.

One of many examples of the damage to the road network

The revised plan chopped out the popular sights of the eastern coastline, such as Cathedral Cove and Hot Water Beach, in favour of a shorter stay centred around Coromandel Town. Signs of repair work underway were a regular feature of the drive up State Highway 25 and in our drives beyond Coromandel Town. There was plenty of evidence of slips, though nothing remotely approaching the scale of the massive slip that severed State Highway 25A.

On the way up to Coromandel Town we stopped at Thames and made a snap decision to visit the Thames Goldmine Experience. It was a great move – the guided tour of the underground mine passage was a great start, but the ability to see an operational 19th century stamper battery in action was just amazing.

The demonstration of the machinery was incredibly loud (ear defenders supplied) with just 5 of the 18 stampers that would have been in operation. I can’t begin to fathom how folk worked there at the peak of its operation. Only one volunteer was running everything on the day we arrived, from collecting fees to running the tours, but it was one of the best industrial museum experiences I can recall.

After making our way out of town we made a stop at the Waiomu Beach Cafe for a spot of lunch. In a morning that was already defying all expectations I was once again wowed. This time it was the incredible selection of home baked goods on offer widening my eyes. It was quite possibly the best bakery I have ever been to in New Zealand. The food I tried was extraordinarily good (a spicy beef and blue cheese pie, followed by a peach and cream cheese swirl). To be quite honest, I could have spent a few days in the Coromandel just working my way through their incredible baked treats!! I was certainly left salivating at the prospect of a stop on the way back to Auckland…

Long Bay in the Coromandel

Our accommodation was a delightful two bedroom studio unit on the beachfront at Long Bay Motor Camp, just outside Coromandel Town. The setting was gorgeous with a terrific view out over the bay; a charming and well tended walk through a Kauri grove accessed directly from the camp grounds; and some wonderfully dark nights for stargazing undisturbed by streetlights. A visit from the camp cat sweetened an already perfect spot.

After dropping our bags we headed over to the remarkable Driving Creek Railway. I have visited a few industrial railway lines over the years, but I have never seen anything quite like this. In the evening we sat on the decking with our supper, watching grey heron, oyster catchers and gulls on the beach as the sun faded. Eventually we retreated indoors for a few rounds of cards. Happy times.

The next day we took a drive up the coast as far as we could reach. Here the damage from the summer storms was much more apparent with orange and yellow markers reducing the road to one lane where there have been slips or where the road has cracked and fallen away. In the afternoon we took a charming wander through town using a map of 30 historic buildings, many from the 1870s boom after the official declaration of the area as a goldfield. Copies of the trail map are available from the Coromandel Town Information Centre.

Our homeward journey to Auckland took us back down State Highway 25 to Waiomu Beach Cafe, through Thames and then onto a wonderfully scenic drive along the coastal roads via Miranda, Orere Point and Maraetai.

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