Gorge Road
Encyclopedia
Gorge Road is a locality in the Southland Region
of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is on the Southern Scenic Route
and is situated on the western bank of the Mataura River
. Nearby settlements include Ashers
to the west, and across the Mataura, Pine Bush
and Titiroa
to the east.
The name Gorge Road derives from the main 19th century overland route, which was along a Bush lined valley and gave the appearance of a gorge.
Gorge Road and Districts Community Development Area < C D A's are an initiative of the Southland District Council to give local people a say in what is happening in their area. Unique in New Zealand)!> and has almost 400 householders in the Southland District Council. It is the largest CDA of the 16 in the Southland District Council and also has the largest area of wetlands in the Ramsar Wetlands in Southland.
railway when the Seaward Bush Branch
was extended from its previous terminus in Mokotua
. It remained a terminus for over four years; the next section across the Mataura to Waimahaka
via Titiroa was not opened until 9 June 1899.
When it opened, the railway provided an important economic link to Southland's main centre, Invercargill
. Passengers and freight were carried together on mixed train
s; after the Waimahaka extension opened, these ran daily from Waimahaka and return, an improvement on the less frequent services that ran from Invercargill and return when Gorge Road was the terminus. Improved roads resulted in a decline in traffic, and in 1951, the mixed trains were slashed to run just once a week, mainly for the benefit of New Zealand Railways Department
employees and their families who lived in the area. Goods-only services continued to run on other days, and after 1 June 1960, they became the sole trains through Gorge Road as the weekly mixed was cancelled. However, these service cuts were not enough to restore the line's profitability, and it closed on 31 March 1966. Some of the line's old formation
can still be seen in the vicinity of Gorge Road, and Railway Bridge Road leads to the site of the no longer extant bridge over the Mataura.
Southland Region
Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. It is on the Southern Scenic Route
Southern Scenic Route
The Southern Scenic Route is a tourist highway in New Zealand linking Queenstown, Fiordland, Te Anau and the iconic Milford Road to Dunedin via, Riverton, Invercargill and The Catlins...
and is situated on the western bank of the Mataura River
Mataura River
The Mataura River is in the Southland Region of the South Island of New Zealand. It is 190 kilometres in length.The river's headwaters are located in mountains to the south of Lake Wakatipu. From there it flows southeast towards Gore, where it turns southward...
. Nearby settlements include Ashers
Ashers
Ashers is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated east of Invercargill on the Southern Scenic Route as it runs between Kapuka and Gorge Road. Other nearby settlements include Oteramika to the north and Kapuka South to the south...
to the west, and across the Mataura, Pine Bush
Pine Bush, New Zealand
Pine Bush is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island.It is situated near the eastern bank of the lower Mataura River. From 1899 until 1966, the Tokanui Branch railway passed just south of Pine Bush, with a station in neighbouring Titiroa...
and Titiroa
Titiroa
Titiroa is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is on the eastern bank of the lower Mataura River, inland from Toetoes Bay...
to the east.
The name Gorge Road derives from the main 19th century overland route, which was along a Bush lined valley and gave the appearance of a gorge.
Gorge Road and Districts Community Development Area < C D A's are an initiative of the Southland District Council to give local people a say in what is happening in their area. Unique in New Zealand)!> and has almost 400 householders in the Southland District Council. It is the largest CDA of the 16 in the Southland District Council and also has the largest area of wetlands in the Ramsar Wetlands in Southland.
Railway
On 1 March 1895, Gorge Road became the terminus of a branch lineBranch line
A branch line is a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line...
railway when the Seaward Bush Branch
Tokanui Branch
The Tokanui Branch, also known as the Seaward Bush Branch, was a branch line railway located in Southland, New Zealand. It diverged from the Bluff Branch south of the main railway station in Invercargill and ran for 54 kilometres in a southeasterly direction...
was extended from its previous terminus in Mokotua
Mokotua
Mokotua is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in a rural area east of Invercargill, between Timpanys and Kapuka on the Southern Scenic Route. To the south are Toetoes Bay and Waituna Lagoon; Rimu is to the north....
. It remained a terminus for over four years; the next section across the Mataura to Waimahaka
Waimahaka
Waimahaka is a locality in the Southland region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in a rural area, inland from Toetoes Bay. Nearby settlements include Pine Bush and Titiroa to the northwest, Fortification and Te Peka to the east, Pukewao and Tokanui to the southwest, and Fortrose on...
via Titiroa was not opened until 9 June 1899.
When it opened, the railway provided an important economic link to Southland's main centre, Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
. Passengers and freight were carried together on mixed train
Mixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
s; after the Waimahaka extension opened, these ran daily from Waimahaka and return, an improvement on the less frequent services that ran from Invercargill and return when Gorge Road was the terminus. Improved roads resulted in a decline in traffic, and in 1951, the mixed trains were slashed to run just once a week, mainly for the benefit of New Zealand Railways Department
New Zealand Railways Department
The New Zealand Railways Department, NZR or NZGR and often known as the "Railways", was a government department charged with owning and maintaining New Zealand's railway infrastructure and operating the railway system. The Department was created in 1880 and was reformed in 1981 into the New...
employees and their families who lived in the area. Goods-only services continued to run on other days, and after 1 June 1960, they became the sole trains through Gorge Road as the weekly mixed was cancelled. However, these service cuts were not enough to restore the line's profitability, and it closed on 31 March 1966. Some of the line's old formation
Track bed
A track bed or trackbed is the term used to describe the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links....
can still be seen in the vicinity of Gorge Road, and Railway Bridge Road leads to the site of the no longer extant bridge over the Mataura.