- Akatarawa Valley
The Akatarawa Valley is a
valley in theTararua Range ofNew Zealand 'sNorth Island . It provides a link from the upper reaches of theHutt Valley toWaikanae on theKapiti Coast through rugged hill country. The valley is lowly populated and contains the localities ofReikorangi andCloustonville . At the Hutt Valley end, the Akatarawa Valley is rugged and theAkatarawa River flows through it. The terrain is less difficult at the Kapiti end, where theWaikanae River flows through part of the valley on its route from its headwaters in the Tararuas to theTasman Sea , and is met in the valley by tributaries such as theNgatiawa River and theReikorangi Stream .Many residents are craftspeople or gardeners, and some gardens are open for public viewing. Also located in the valley is a former
Salvation Army youth and family camp that has been upgraded and now operated by the Wellesley Group, and Staglands Wildlife Reserve, a conservation project established in 1972. It supports many native and rare birds, insects, and animals in conjunction with theNew Zealand Department of Conservation .An early proposal for the
North Island Main Trunk Railway 's route out of Wellington featured a line deviating from theHutt Valley Line portion of theWairarapa Line and running through the Akatarawa Valley to the west coast. This proposal was considered in the 1870s but abandoned when theWellington and Manawatu Railway Company chose a route directly out of Wellington via Johnsonville andPorirua . [K. R. Cassells, "Uncommon Carrier" (Wellington: New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society, 1994).] Arailway through the Akatarawa Valley has not been seriously considered since this stage, though industrial tramways were built to serve private logging interests. The tramways and mills they served are now closed and little evidence remains of their existence. [Nic Campbell, " [http://www.trainweb.org/enzedrail/industrial/wellington.htxt.html Ramblings With Old Nic 11: Wellington Industrial and Tram Lines] ", 2003.]References
External links
* [http://www.staglands.co.nz/ Staglands Wildlife Reserve - official website]
* http://www.wellesleycountryclub.co.nz/
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