Friday 4 August 2017

Stillwater Ngakawau Line [14]: Tiroroa

Tiroroa is the first crossing loop west of Inangahua. It is deep in the Buller Gorge with no road access. It was first brought into use by the Public Works Department when railway construction reached this point in 1930, and handed over to NZR with the formal opening of the line between Inangahua and Te Kuha in December 1943. Surprisingly given its location, it was open to passengers until 1959 and to freight until 1978. This implied there must have been people living and working in the area, perhaps in logging, as maps do not show any coal mining in the immediate vicinity.