D45 TransOceania Martinborough – Wellington

From a town of 2000 to a Capital of 200000, the world’s windiest city (on average). The connection is a railway and river.

The Remutaka Rail Trail was created on the incline section of the old Wellington – Palmerston North railway built in 1871, closing in 1955 when a tunnel was built. It’s fame comes from the Fell rail system – a horizontal wheel system on a raised line, allowing tradition coaches to be used. One of only three in the world, (only remaining one is on Isle of Man) this is a 1:15 incline: traditional lines run out of puff as I did!

I ran out of steam and traction early on – it’s called a push bike for a reason. Gives plenty of time to take in the great scenery and admire the builders and railwaymen who operated the line. The poor fireman must have earned their crust – no dilithium crystal warp drives – just shovel the coal and get on with it.

The descent is more gradual and we then follow the Huka River trail (more gravel to help sooth the sitbones) almost all the way into Wellington.

Geology lesson, thanks to Bob who used to live here. “For most of today we were at fault! e.g. The Wellington Fault, a major strike-slip fault, akin to the San Andreas. Large (magnitude 8) earthquakes occur on this fault about every 500-1,000 years.

Earthquakes played a big role in Wellington’s early history. The city was founded in 1840. In 1848, a big earthquake in Marlborough (northern South Island) shook Wellington, destroying many brick buildings. (The British built houses like they did in UK, with bricks …) These were wisely rebuilt with wood, so the small city came through the 1855 Wairarapa Earthquake much better. [We passed through Featherston] along the Wairarapa Fault for ~10 km . This was the fault that ruptured in 1855.

After one of these earthquakes, many settlers decided that they had seen enough and decided to move back to UK. They didn’t get far, however. Their ship ran aground in the channel, whose sea floor had risen by several metres. This channel has been filled in now; it’s where the airport is, between Evans Bay and Lyell Bay.”