<![CDATA[MANAWATU'S IRON GATES EXPERIENCE

<![CDATA[MANAWATU'S IRON GATES EXPERIENCE - Blog]]>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 22:06:10 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[The Ruahine Dress Circle Revived]]>Mon, 23 Dec 2013 18:53:32 GMThttps://www.irongates.co.nz/blog/the-ruahine-dress-circle-revived

Photo taken from The Ruahine Road Lookout into the Ruahine Dress Circle. Photo - Mary Bielski

Tucked away on a side road off Ruahine Road in the northern Manawatu and about 5 minutes north of Rangiwahia is an amazing swimming and picnic spot. According to one of our older Rangiwahia residents, Ngaire Hancock, this area has been a popular spot for over 100 years. It had featured in AA magazines and was known all over New Zealand. Of course past and present residents are very familiar with this area. There are two swimming holes; one near a permanent waterfall, which flows from a side stream near the swimming hole and the other a little further downstream below a deeper, wider fall.

“Years ago” early settlers gave it the name, because the surrounding cliffs reminded them of a dress circle in an opera house. This is particularly evident when standing at the edge of the bank on Ruahine Road looking down into it, as shown in the first photo.

Access to the swimming spot is about 4-5 minutes from Ruahine Road. To get there turn off Ruahine Road onto Kelpie Road & then left down Lagoon Road and over a bridge. Turn left onto a paper road and the swimming hole is a short walk at the end. Vehicle access is also possible.

The Mangawharariki Stream, which flows through The Dress Circle, is made up of 2 types of parpa rock. During floods, the water corrodes the soft parpa creating large holes, giving the impression, as Janet from Destination Manawatu said, of Middle Earth. Over the years several waterfalls have corroded away because of this action. The 2004 floods played further havoc and much of the existing riverbed was eroded away lowering its level, leading to the destruction of the then existing waterfall and a great swimming hole.

Since the 2004 floods the picnic area has been neglected. Access down the paper road was near impossible by vehicle with scrub and willows growing over the track. Getting down to the stream was even more difficult with re-growth everywhere.

Several people contacted Steve to complain about its demise. He contacted Manawatu District Council, who gave permission for Steve & farmer, Geoff Le Quesne, to tidy it up. They used their machinery to clear the track into and down to the stream. Another enthusiast, Bruce Stern (retired surveyor from Feilding with past family connections with The Dress Circle) cut a short track through the bush parallel to the paper road.

All this hard work has paid off. During the hot summer days, many people have been down to enjoy the marvelous swimming spots and the remarkable scenery. It really is quite unique.

Campervans and campers have parked there overnight, but in reality it should only be used as a picnic and swimming area for day trips. There are not the facilities, such as toilets and clear camping areas. The Rangiwahia Domain, about 5 minutes away, is set up to accommodate campervans, with public toilets, water, power points, a dump station, picnic tables and tennis court available.

I have included a few photos of waterfalls taken last century and, of course, recent ones as well. The first photo is taken from Ruahine Road looking down into the Dress Circle. You can see the opera house affect.

]]><![CDATA[Cyclist Problem Solved]]>Mon, 23 Dec 2013 08:00:00 GMThttps://www.irongates.co.nz/blog/cyclist-problem-solved

This service is no longer available. The article remains as part of our history.
I remember an advert a number of years ago about the garage door – “Get a garage door, a super garage door, you get much more with a roller door”. The problem was you needed a garage first! The new Manawatu Cycleway from Mangaweka to Palmerston North is a bit like that super roller door. It’s all up and running with unique-cyclist signposts, picnic tables, places to stop along the way and of course great scenery. One problem! How do you get your bikes and gear to the start and finish of the Cycleway (The Garage)?

So that is where Rachel Dean comes into the picture. Rachel owns the The Hub Café at The Mangaweka International Airport. Rachel came out from England to play cricket in 1993 and she fell in love with New Zealand. She did three more trips out to NZ and finally in 2003 she arrived back with the idea of living here permanently. Traveling around in a campervan sealed this idea. After a few months she found her first job driving trucks for Foodstuffs, which lasted for about 5 years. Due to her love of Classic Cars, especially MGs, she met John & Viv Eames, who are world famous in Mangaweka!! They started the Rangitikei River Adventures – now called Mangaweka Adventure Company & own the DC3 aeroplane. Rachel, who was living in Friendly Feilding at the time, had the opportunity to purchase The Café under the DC3.

She had another string to her bow - a shuttle bus - that she used for a variety of tours, including the Manawatu Wind Farm & Gorge Tours. She even gave talks to school children up at The Wind Farm– such fun on a windy day!

So when she arrived in Mangaweka she saw the opportunity to support the Adventure operators from the Café by helping with their transport needs, plus providing tours of her own. Eg transporting visitors to and from The Rangitikei River for The Mangaweka Adventure Company and also farm tours.

Now this is where the Manawatu Cycleway (the roller door) comes into the picture. Rachel and her team (The garage) are available to pick up Cyclists & their bikes from Palmerston North, Feilding, and Ashhurst – in fact just about anywhere on route. She will even drop off luggage to accommodation providers. In fact she is completely flexible to the needs of Cyclists. There is of course understandably a charge for this service. Her shuttle bus can take up to 11 passengers, but at this stage only 4 cyclist and their bikes, but she will expand as the route becomes more popular.

So if this suits your requirements give Rachel a call on 06 3825747 or 021 1309138. info@rachelsbus.co.nz or chat with her on Facebook. Not only is she a tour driver, but also she is very approachable & knowledgeable. She loves the area and can see such tourist potential around Rangitikei and Manawatu.

]]><![CDATA[Rangiwahia all steamed up]]>Sun, 22 Dec 2013 07:39:23 GMThttps://www.irongates.co.nz/blog/rangiwahia-all-steamed-up

Ramsomes, Sims and Jefferies No 24090 of 1912 Steam Traction Engine. Photo - Steve Bielski

It’s not everyday that Rangiwahia becomes the focus of a fiftieth anniversary. It is probable that the majority of the present-day residents had no idea that one of its past residents was the proud owner of a Ramsomes, Sims and Jefferies No 24090 of 1912 Steam Traction Engine. Half a dozen young men purchased this particular engine fifty years ago and so began The Steam Traction Engine Society Incorporated with the goal of collecting and restoring steam traction engines.

The founding members of The Steam Traction Engine Society Incorporated, including a new member Alan Cowan far left. Othes from left - Mike Barnes, Ron Boyce, Ron Alexander, John Pudsey, Don Banks ( a new member on the wheel) and Ian Chamberlain. Absent is Mike Coghlan. Photo - Ron Alexander

The story goes something like this. In 1953, James (Jamie) Waugh purchased a steam traction engine from A.N. Wilson of Wilson’s Sawmill at Hunterville. Mr Wilson had been the owner for 20 years, but after the mill was destroyed by fire in 1953, he sold the machine on to Mr Waugh. He used to work on the railways and it would have been during this time that he earned his Steam Ticket, necessary to operate a steam traction engine.

Jamie Waugh had a block of land by Pemberton’s corner, at the junction of Rangiwahia and Mangamako Roads, just south of Rangiwahia, where he milked cows and used the Ransomes to haul Maire logs up from the gullies. Ken Smith, originally from Mangaweka remembers the wire rope breaking quite frequently, when the powerful steam engine would pull on a stuck log. He apparently left the machine lying idle for several years on the side of Mangamako road, which leads to Ohingaiti.

The Ransomes sitting idle on the side of the road. Photo - Ron Alexander

In 1961, he began repairs on the machine in preparation for 75th Jubilee celebrations in 1962.

Jamie Waugh proudly exhibiting the Ransomes at the 75th Jubilee. Photo - Alister Tompkins

In 1961, he began repairs on the machine in preparation for 75th Jubilee celebrations in 1962. Jamie was also farming up the Aputu and Manaia Roads, on what I understand, were original Waugh family farms. The Aputu Road links Rangiwahia with the Kawhatau Valley. After the celebrations he decided to drive the machine to the Aputu Road Farm. However, he struck trouble down Karewarewa Road after fording the Mangawharariki Stream. He couldn’t get the machine up the hill and there it stayed near Sid Stent’s old pump shed, until a some one bulldozed a track down to where the engine sat and Jamie was able to move it to the property.

The main use for this engine was for winching Maire logs, of which there were plenty in Rangiwahia. They had been felled and were lying around farmland on the hillsides and flats and were a major obstruction to grazing & mustering. His idea was to winch them up on to flat land and cut them up for firewood. He also milled some of the logs and used the timber in the floor of a woolshed. The engine was uniquely designed with one of the back wheels offset to accommodate a winch to haul the logs. John Stent, a past resident, living in Feilding now, remembers his father, “Old Siddy Stent” making the comment that “the traction engine burned more Maire than it pulled out!”

The engine was uniquely designed with one of the back wheels offset to accommodate a winch to haul the logs.

Reg Thompson remembers the traction engine being used to winch Maire logs out of the Aputu Gorge onto the flats to be used for firewood. He had it up there for a only a few months, before he took it back to the old pump shed, which had a tap to access water, and there it remained. Why he took it back and only got as far as the pump shed, is not clear, but it had some mechanical problem. At any rate, there it stayed with its only companion being a fat pig, who used to rub the mud off its body onto the wheels. Jamie Waugh eventually moved onto Mangaweka, where his brother Ken was the local plumber and the Waugh family may have at an earlier stage owned the local butchery. He later moved to Feilding.

The Ransomes sitting by the pump shed. Photo - Ron Alexander

Meanwhile, sometime in 1963, a young man by the name of Mike Barnes was a fitter and turner at Production Engineering in Marton. He heard about this traction engine up in Rangiwahia and was very keen to buy it along with 3 other enthusiasts – Ron Alexander, Ron Boyce and Ian Chamberlain. Mike took his father up to meet Mr Waugh at Mangaweka and negotiated with him the price of £60, which was a lot of money in those days. By this stage 3 more men were interested and they all pitched in £10 each to repay Mike’s father.

The Wanganui Steam Traction Society began, because most of members were based in Wanganui. The founding members of the society included Mike Coghlan, Ron Boyce, Ron Alexander, John Pudsey, Mike Barnes and Ian Chamberlain, all of whom are alive today. Ron Alexander has recently published The Epic Journey, a most interesting story about the recovery and restoration of this particular traction engine. Eventually the Steam Traction Society moved from the Marton base to the site in Maewa Road in Feilding in 1973.

So the Traction Engine was off again. Before fording the river, it hit a rock and the steering chain broke. It was fixed the same day & they crossed the river. Before moving on they had to deal with some “red tape”. The boiler had to be inspected by the Marine Dept. for a certificate of worthiness to steam the boiler, and the driver had to have a certificate of operation competency. Fortunately John Pudsey had sufficient hours with steam to sit for his certificate. Then someone needed a road license to drive it on a road & finally they had to apply to the County Council for a permit to operate it on the road.

The Ransomes finally ready the journey. Photo - Ron Alexander

Six weeks later the journey began on the 9th June 1963 and they arrived in Marton 90 miles away on 26 April 1964. With all the repairs, stops and starts the machine actually only spent 8 days over that 10 month period traveling on the road at about 3 mph (about 6kmh) and not without problems. One example included the funnel falling onto the road after the chimney base broke. It was put back together with No. 8 fencing wire.

The epic journey began with the hills of Rangiwahia in the background. Photo - Ron Alexander

Meanwhile the group leased a site 6 miles north of Marton at Tutanui on Les Coleman’s “Kapiti View” property. This is when the society changed the name to The Steam Traction Engine Society Incorporated. Other machines were purchased and driven to this site, where a large shed was built. Restoration of the Ransomes No 24090 began in 1966, but stalled until 1971, when a new member, Doug Chambers, purchased the machine. The restoration process continued and was finally complete 4 years later in 1975.

In 1976, the Ransomes sold to Chris Pask, the founder of CJ Pask Wineries, in Hawke’s Bay, who used the machine to remove old gum trees and later to sterilize wine barrels at his winery.

The present owner, Wayne Clark of Havelock North, bought the machine in 1996 and has continued with repairs and maintenance, bringing it back to it’s present excellent working order. Check Pg. 30. Under Wayne’s ownership it is the most traveled engine in the country.

Wayne Clark. Photo - Mary Bielski

The Rangiwahia steam engine was used solely for winching out Maire logs, but traction engines had many other uses, such as pulling timber, heavy road haulage operating saw mills, chaff cutting, building roads, thrashing corn, wheat and barley and any other heavy work on farms or in the forests.

They were fired by either wood or coal, which heated the water and so created the steam to drive the engines. When the machines were out on contract thrashing wheat etc the team of men were self-contained with living quarters including a cook, a “water joey” (a horse & wagon to carry the water to the engine) and all involved in the operation of the contract work. The living van or galley was commonly known as a “stinky” in the South Island, because the men had no access to daily showers! Oddly enough the occasional “stinky” was fitted out with pretty lead lights as shown in the photo.

The Ransomes with the living quarters attached. Photo taken on Main South Road on the way to Rangiwahia Hall.

A pretty stained glass window.

Feilding club members have dedicated their time to restoring at least 12 traction engines, boasting possibly the biggest collection in the Southern Hemisphere. So the 50th celebrations provided an opportune time to display them and get them back on the road. The group decided to travel back on the machines themselves to the places of significance – Tutanui and the old pump shed.

The celebrations began on November 9th in Feilding with all the original members present. There are 68 current members and most were able to attend the celebrations. They were mainly from the Manawatu, but several made the trip from UK, 2 from the South Island; one who brought his engine up, and several from distant places in the North Island. They celebrated with a dinner in Feilding, catering for 138 in the traction engine shed down Maewa Road.

Afterwards two journeys were organized leaving from Feilding. Six engines went through to Apiti, where they spent the night. The convoy then moved onto Rangiwahia via Main South Road arriving at the Rangiwahia Hall on Tuesday afternoon. The other convoy of 3 machines drove to Tutanui and then onto Hunterville for the Monday night, making their way to Rangiwahia via Peep-O-Day Road. There were no speeding tickets issued as the average speed was from 7 - 20 kph.

The Ransomes was one of several traction engines that made its way to Rangiwahia.

The arrival of the traction engines in Rangiwahia created much interest and the locals were able to talk with members of the club and to view these magnificent examples of antique machinery. They were originally built in England to the highest standard of workmanship and with the greatest of pride. Fourteen coats of paint were applied then finished off with 5 to 6 coats of varnish to protect the paint. They were very expensive machines costing about £650 compared to a new car of £40. The first owner of The Ransomes, after it arrived in New Zealand at the end of 1912 was a Mr Eggleton, a contractor from Bunnythorpe. He sold it onto to Mr Wilson in 1933.

Other traction engines arriving at Rangiwahia after traveling along the Peep-O-Day Road

So 101 years from The Ransomes beginnings it is still as new and shiny as the day it was built. If it wasn’t for the foresight and passion of a few young men, it along with the other steam traction engines, may never have been restored to their present glory. We congratulate The Steam Traction Engine Society Incorporated on this amazing feat.

The founding members, who were all present at the 50th anniversary. From left - Mike Coghlan, Ron Boyce, Ron Alexander, John Pudsey, Mike Barnes and Ian Chamberlain. Photo - Mrs Alexander.

The Ransomes before returning to Feilding. Photo - Steve Bielski

On the way to the pump shed. The photo was taken by Steve Bielski from Karewarewa Road.

I would like to thank the following people, who have supplied the information for this article –
Ron Alexander
Mike Barnes
Bernie Barnes
Wayne Clark
Ngaire Hancock,
Alister Tompkins
John Stent
Reg Thompson
John Oakden

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