Te Peka
Encyclopedia
Te Peka is a locality in the Southland region of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is situated on the western edge of the Catlins
region, with Waimahaka
to the west, Fortrose
to the southwest, and Pukewao
and Tokanui
to the southeast.
from Waimahaka through Te Peka to Tokanui was opened. This branch line
railway linked Te Peka with Invercargill
, with passengers carried on mixed train
s. In the mid-1920s, Te Peka railway station became a junction when a bush tramway was built eastwards from it to Fortification
to serve a sawmill. The tramway closed before the railway did, but the precise date is not known.
In 1951, the mixed train was cut to operate just once per week, mainly for the benefit of families employed by the Railways Department
who lived in the area; goods-only trains operated on other days. On 1 June 1960, passenger services were fully cancelled and trains through Te Peka catered solely for freight until the line officially closed on 31 March 1966 as freight levels had not been profitable for years. Some of the line's old formation
can still be seen in the vicinity of Te Peka.
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 situated on the western edge of the Catlins
The Catlins
The Catlins comprises an area in the southeastern corner of the South Island of New Zealand. The area lies between Balclutha and Invercargill, straddling the boundary between the Otago and Southland regions...
region, with 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...
to the west, Fortrose
Fortrose, New Zealand
Fortrose is a locality on the southernmost coast of the South Island of New Zealand in the Southland region. It is situated on Toetoes Bay at the mouth of the Mataura River, and is on the far western edge of the Catlins...
to the southwest, and Pukewao
Pukewao
Pukewao is a locality in the southeastern corner of the Southland region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located inland from Toetoes Bay in the very western part of the Catlins, and nearby settlements include Tokanui to the southeast, Fortrose on the coast to the southwest, and Te Peka and...
and Tokanui
Tokanui
Tokanui is a community in the eastern portion of Southland District Council, located on the Southern Scenic Route about 55 km east of Invercargill and 109 km southwest of Balclutha, New Zealand....
to the southeast.
Railway
On 20 December 1911, an extension of the Seaward Bush BranchTokanui 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...
from Waimahaka through Te Peka to Tokanui was opened. This branch line
Branch 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 linked Te Peka with 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,...
, with passengers carried 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. In the mid-1920s, Te Peka railway station became a junction when a bush tramway was built eastwards from it to Fortification
Fortification, New Zealand
Fortification is a locality in the western part of the Catlins region of Southland in New Zealand's South Island. Nearby settlements include Quarry Hills and Waikawa to the southeast, Tokanui to the southwest, and Waimahaka to the west...
to serve a sawmill. The tramway closed before the railway did, but the precise date is not known.
In 1951, the mixed train was cut to operate just once per week, mainly for the benefit of families employed by the 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...
who lived in the area; goods-only trains operated on other days. On 1 June 1960, passenger services were fully cancelled and trains through Te Peka catered solely for freight until the line officially closed on 31 March 1966 as freight levels had not been profitable for years. 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 Te Peka.