Exploring Kawakawa in The Bay of Islands – New Zealand's Biggest Gap Year – BackpackerGuide.NZ
Day 343: Today we are checking out The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, the Makana Confections chocolate factory AND the most famous public toilets in New Zealand! (Yes, really!)
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Today we are doing several things in Kawakawa, Bay of Islands. First, we check out The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway where we see restored trains and carriages in the Bay of Islands Railway workshop. After the Kawakawa Station we head to the Hunderwasser Toilets – the most famous public toilets in New Zealand! You can’t miss these Bay of Islands toilets, otherwise known as the Kawakawa toilets! After exploring Kawakawa in Northland NZ, we then return to Kerikeri where we stop by Makana in the Bay of Islands. Makana Confections is a chocolate shop with a chocolate factory in Kerikeri and a chocolate cafe.
So what do you think of Kawakawa in the Bay of Islands? Would you add Kawakawa to your Bay of Islands travel itinerary? LUK in the comments!
#BackpackerGuideNZ #Northland #BayofIslands #TravelNewZealand #NZMustDo #NewZealand #TravelNZ
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-- New Zealand Biggest Gap Year --
365 Days: 365 Activities
BackpackerGuide.NZ is New Zealand’s biggest online travel guide for adventure and budget travel in New Zealand. Join us, as the team behind BackpackerGuide.NZ, Robin and Laura, update the travel guide while taking on 365 Days: 365 Activities in New Zealand! It’s New Zealand’s Biggest Gap Year! We release new videos of the New Zealand backpacking adventure every single day, as well as New Zealand travel tips and 360 videos every Sunday so start making your New Zealand bucket list!
Read more about Kawakawa on New Zealand’s biggest guide for backpackers:
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Bay of Islands – Guide for Backpackers ➜
10 Best Backpacker Hostels in the Bay of Islands ➜
10 Must-Dos in the Bay of Islands ➜
Bay of Islands Vintage Railway, Kawakawa vintage train
Ruby hauls 2 vintage carriages down the middle of SH1 through Kawakawa, Bay of Islands, New Zealand. Unique in the world as being a working railway that travels down the middle of a State Highway and the main street of a town.
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Bay of Islands Vintage Railway street running Kawakawa, North Island, New Zealand
Gabriel at the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway (HD)
On December 27th 2013, we capture Gabriel running on the scenic Bay of Islands Vintage Railway. The 4.5km long railway runs from Kawakawa through the main street into the Bay of Islands countryside to the terminal at Taumarere. The Railway used to go another 10km to Opua but due to this short running there is a long bridge which is in bad condition and in need for repair, one day we hope to see trains once again crossing the bridge.
Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trip
The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust is a heritage Steam railway in Kawakawa. This railway includes track down the middle of State Highway 1.
For more information, please visit their website:
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A Visit to the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway (November 16th, 2019)
The 3rd day of the Northland trip consisted primarily of a trip to Kawakawa, the purpose of which was to ride on the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway. This is currently a 3 kilometre line running from Kawakawa to Taumarere, and it is notable for the short street-running section in Kawakawa.
Originally the line was part of the 19 kilometre long Otiria to Opua branch, which was connected with Whangarei in 1925. Previously a tramway had been built from Kawakawa to the wharf at Taumarere. This was upgraded to railway standards in 1877. When the line was extended to Opua in 1884, the wharves were closed and replaced by the new port.
Between 1925 and 1956, a steam-hauled passenger service (The Opua Express) ran between Auckland and Opua. When diesel railcars took over in 1956, the service started running to Okaihau instead of Opua. Passengers from Kawakawa had to ride on mixed trains instead. These trains lasted until 1976 (the railcar serving having ceased in 1967). After 1976, the Opua line remained in operation to serve of the dairy factory at Moerewa and an AFFCO Meat Works. By the 1980s, containerisation was establishing itself as a new means of transporting goods, and less ships made the trip to Opua. This resulted in the decline of freight trains beyond Kawakawa.
1985 was the last time regular freight trains ran to Opua. From then on, it was leased to the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway to operate heritage passenger services from Opua to Kawakawa.
For a while, the track from Otiria to Kawakawa was retained as a link to the national network. This has since been dismantled and is now used as a footpath connecting Kawakawa with Moerewa.
Tourist trains from Kawakawa to Opua shut down in 2001, when the line's operating licence was withdrawn. Train services have since been re-instated over the 3 kilometre section from Kawakawa to Taumarere.
The engine running on this occasion was a Drewry 0-6-0 diesel shunter. Two engines of this design were built in 1949, originally for the Whakatane Board Mills Railway. The pair appear to resemble the New Zealand Railways DS class, and the British Rail Class 03. In 1999 the engines were withdrawn from Whakatane service, and sent to Forest Loaders of Portland. There they stayed until 2017, when they were transferred to their new home in Kawakawa.
Bay of Islands Vintage Railway
The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway Trust (BOIVRT) is a heritage Steam railway in Kawakawa, Northland, New Zealand. The railway operates on part of the former Opua Branch railwayand offers steam train rides to visitors to the Bay of Islands throughtout the year.
Kawakawa Bay - New Zealand 2019
Adventures of the Bay Of Islands Vintage Railway
On the 8th and 9th of January 2016, I took a trip up north of Auckland to a town called Kawakawa, to ride a train I last rode on when I was 7 years old, on the 31st of December 1999. A big thanks to Anne and all those at the BOIVR for a great time.
WAIPU, KAWAKAWA and KAITAIA, NEW ZEALAND.19-10-09
This was the second day of my New Zealand tour 2009. Travelling North of Auckland to Waipu, Kawakawa and Kaitaia. My love affair with this beautiful country continues.
Bay Of Islands Vintage Railway (2012)
A quick look at the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway in Kawakawa, Northland.
Bay of Islands Vintage Railway in Kawakawa
Bay of Islands Vintage Railway in Kawakawa
Kawakawa Rail
Kawakawa Steam Train operates up the main street of Kawakawa and does a short excursion along the river side towards Opua. This clip is of the old diesel engine that is used while Gabriel the steam engine is out of service.
Kawakawa Bay track, Taupo New Zealand
Follow the boys in this video as they head to Taupo and test their bikes on the Kawakawa bay track.
Bay of Islands Vintage Railway
Steam locomotive Gabriel on the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway on 10 October 2014. The line is unique in New Zealand as it runs down the main street of the small Northland town of Kawakawa. The railway line, as the Opua Branch, was laid first, with the road built on top of it.
Gabriel was formerly in use at Portland Cement, having been re-gauged to 3ft 6in, before moving to the railway in 1985.
Apologies for the music halfway through, but again my camera's microphone decided to go on strike...
Gabriel running on the Bay of Islands Vintage Railway
The BOIVR's steam locomotive Gabriel running on the societies 4km line to Taumarere.
Bay of Islands Vintage Railway - HD
We take a quick look at the Bay Of Islands Vintage Railway (BOIVR), located in Kawakawa, Northland, New Zealand.
The railway operates Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and every day during the school holidays. The line runs 4.5km to Taumarere, just a portion of how the line previously ran to Opua in the Bay of Islands. However, this targeted will one day be reached again, as volunteers are working hard to repair the many bridges and the Whangae tunnel.
We had a look at this interesting scenic railway on a rainy Friday 12th October 2014. Gabriel, both the railway's and Kawakawa's icon, was seen running the trains.
The Bay of Islands Vintage Railway
The Bay of Island Vintage railway is based in the Northlands of New Zealand, during this short clip Gabriel the steam loco leaves Kawakawa station heading down the high street of the town, find more information about this unique heritage railway at
NAL Trains 1989
Filmed in 1989, this video shows a number of trains running on the North Auckland Line between Westfield and Kaiwaka.
PUKEMIRO BUSH RAILWAY - NEW ZEALAND
The Bush Tramway Club preserves and restores old railway rolling stock from industrial railways and bush tramways. On the first Sunday of most months, they open to the public and run trains along a section of disused line obtained from NZ Railways.