Spiral Lookout opened

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 27, 2 December 1986, Page 1

Spiral Lookout opened

Raurimu's population of a dozen or so permanent residents was swelled to between 400-500 temporarily and briefly last Saturday morning when the Raurimu Spiral Look out was officially opened. A special 'Spiral SpeciaP excursion train consisting of nine vintage railway coaches brought about 380 passengers from Taumarunui to witness the opening of the Spiral Lookout before heading off to Waiouru and back to Taumarunui on a daylong sightseeing trip. Forty or so vehicles (an unusual sight in Raurimu even in the ski season) brought other sightseers from the Waimarino and further afield to attend the official opening which was performed by the Assistant General Manager of NZ Railways. Mr Ewen McQueen. Mr McQueen was standing in for the Minister of Railways. Richard Prebble. who is currently in the Antarctic. The Minister did however send his apologies saying that he was unable to attend because there were no direct flights between McMurdo Sound and Raurimu ... yet! The Spiral Lookout, which is clearly visible from the main road (SH4), is an elevated platform and looks like a playground 'fort'. This on-going project — which includes the provision of off-street parking, the building of a picnic and barbecue area. the construction of a sealed footpath and the landscaping of the entire area — was initiated, organised and sponsored by the Taumarunui Rotary Club with help and encouragement from NZ Railways, Lands and Survey. Tongariro National Park. the Forest Service, Historic Places Trust, the Tourist and Publicity Department

and the Outdoor Pursuits Centre. Official guests attending the opening included: John Salmond, president of Taumarunui Rotary Club; Brian Burmester, district governor of Rotary; Bruce Dobson, Taumarunui County JuKineer and a member oT Rotary; Terry Podmore, Mayor of Taumarunui; Don Middleton. County chairman; John Rockwell. NZ Forest Service from Palmerston North; and Ewen McQueen who was chief guest speaker. Speakers paid tribute to the work and skills of the early railway pioneers who pushed the Main Trunk line through such rugged country as the Central North Island plateau. This included the problem of trying to gain an elevation of 220 metres within a straight-line-distance of 2kms between Pukerimu (as Raurimu was known then) and the Waimarino Plains.

"That's a gradient of one-in-thirty and it was not on eitherthen or now."said Mr McQueen. The answer was provided by R. W. Holmes who in 1898 (and following the route broadly defined by John Rochfort 1 5 vears earlier) devised the Spiral. Construction started in 1905 and by the time it was completed in October 1907 more than 1500 (some say 2.000) workers and their families lived in the valley. It is hard to imagine today. when there are only seven families residing permanently in Raurimu, that this once-thriving township even had its own highschool. post office and shops. But the evidence is still there ... some of the older buildings still stand. abandoned and forlorn as a reminder and a tribute to those who built the North Island Main Trunk Line just after the turn of the century.