1 00:00:07,133 --> 00:00:10,453 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast 2 00:00:10,573 --> 00:00:11,453 Speaker 1: from News Talks. 3 00:00:11,453 --> 00:00:11,733 Speaker 2: A'd be. 4 00:00:13,773 --> 00:00:17,373 Speaker 3: Mike Yardley is our travel correspondent, killed Kilder Jack. 5 00:00:17,453 --> 00:00:20,533 Speaker 2: Now, it's a very big day March one. Do you 6 00:00:20,573 --> 00:00:21,013 Speaker 2: know why? 7 00:00:21,613 --> 00:00:22,453 Speaker 3: Happy birthday? 8 00:00:22,493 --> 00:00:26,093 Speaker 2: Mike. No, no, not that I know of. No, it's 9 00:00:26,173 --> 00:00:29,013 Speaker 2: a happy birthday day to the Bluff Oysters season. 10 00:00:29,173 --> 00:00:33,373 Speaker 3: Oh I should have that in my diary. 11 00:00:33,573 --> 00:00:36,533 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, you ordering them up because the fishing boats 12 00:00:36,573 --> 00:00:39,733 Speaker 2: go out today. Fantastic's going to be a good season. Yep. 13 00:00:39,813 --> 00:00:41,493 Speaker 3: Oh good, okay, well that's good to know. 14 00:00:41,693 --> 00:00:41,853 Speaker 2: Yeah. 15 00:00:41,933 --> 00:00:44,653 Speaker 3: Yeah, you've got to get in quick too, superb. I'm pleased. 16 00:00:44,653 --> 00:00:47,213 Speaker 3: I'm please you've alerted up well please, you've alerted me. 17 00:00:47,253 --> 00:00:49,293 Speaker 3: I'm not sure I'm pleased you've alerted the nation to that. 18 00:00:49,373 --> 00:00:53,813 Speaker 3: But hey, anyway, we're focusing on things slightly further north 19 00:00:53,893 --> 00:00:56,133 Speaker 3: this morning, the Forgotten World, which is of course the 20 00:00:56,213 --> 00:00:58,853 Speaker 3: King Country. And you've been riding the rails through the 21 00:00:58,853 --> 00:01:02,173 Speaker 3: Forgotten World. So how big is the route and what 22 00:01:02,213 --> 00:01:03,133 Speaker 3: are you actually riding on? 23 00:01:03,773 --> 00:01:06,813 Speaker 2: It's a whopper, Jack. You're ripping through the King Country 24 00:01:06,813 --> 00:01:10,813 Speaker 2: for one hundred and forty two kilometers, so you're riding 25 00:01:10,893 --> 00:01:13,853 Speaker 2: on a decommissioned railway line stretching from the northern tip 26 00:01:13,893 --> 00:01:19,493 Speaker 2: of the rual Peirhur district to Heartland Tartanaki Stratford to Okohoka, 27 00:01:20,093 --> 00:01:22,693 Speaker 2: which is just out of Timidnui. But this is no 28 00:01:22,853 --> 00:01:25,893 Speaker 2: train trip. You are riding on souped up golf carts 29 00:01:25,933 --> 00:01:29,653 Speaker 2: from Arizona and you're in charge of the pedals. The 30 00:01:29,653 --> 00:01:32,653 Speaker 2: wheels are fastened to the tracks, which is nice to know. 31 00:01:33,453 --> 00:01:36,693 Speaker 2: So no steering required or WHOA then actually get some 32 00:01:36,813 --> 00:01:40,333 Speaker 2: getting used to the reflex is to put your hands 33 00:01:40,333 --> 00:01:42,213 Speaker 2: on the wheel. So I was a slow learner for 34 00:01:42,253 --> 00:01:43,173 Speaker 2: the first hour or two. 35 00:01:44,093 --> 00:01:46,213 Speaker 3: I think it'll be the same actually, yeah, just kind 36 00:01:46,213 --> 00:01:49,453 Speaker 3: of reflexively reaching down and wanting to lean into turns. Yeah. 37 00:01:50,173 --> 00:01:52,333 Speaker 3: So how long has it been operating. 38 00:01:52,453 --> 00:01:55,693 Speaker 2: About thirteen years now, so yeah. Kimi Rail closed the 39 00:01:55,773 --> 00:01:59,053 Speaker 2: line in twenty ten and a white kiddow farmer, Ian Bam. 40 00:01:59,133 --> 00:02:02,613 Speaker 2: He was the founder of Forgotten World Adventures. He turned 41 00:02:02,613 --> 00:02:06,693 Speaker 2: them off balled line into what has been a visionary business. 42 00:02:07,453 --> 00:02:10,733 Speaker 2: It's now owned by Grant Ross. He's had it for 43 00:02:10,773 --> 00:02:13,253 Speaker 2: the last three years. He's very hands on. He greeps 44 00:02:13,293 --> 00:02:15,533 Speaker 2: all the guests. He's off and out doing the excursions. 45 00:02:15,853 --> 00:02:19,253 Speaker 2: And he's got such a fascinating backstory because Grunt was 46 00:02:19,253 --> 00:02:22,493 Speaker 2: a professional rugby player in South Africa and France and 47 00:02:22,653 --> 00:02:25,573 Speaker 2: also worked in television productions overseas, so he's got lots 48 00:02:25,613 --> 00:02:28,493 Speaker 2: of yarns to share. Long lines. But the thing about 49 00:02:28,493 --> 00:02:31,213 Speaker 2: it check is the track maintenance, which was one of 50 00:02:31,213 --> 00:02:34,533 Speaker 2: the reasons Kiwi Rail called stumps back in twenty ten. 51 00:02:34,653 --> 00:02:37,253 Speaker 2: So Grant was showing me photos from a couple of 52 00:02:37,293 --> 00:02:39,773 Speaker 2: years ago where these massive mud slides in the king 53 00:02:39,853 --> 00:02:43,053 Speaker 2: Country buried the entrance to some of their tunnel, so 54 00:02:43,133 --> 00:02:46,973 Speaker 2: they literally had to just hand dig all of that 55 00:02:47,093 --> 00:02:50,853 Speaker 2: mud out off the line. Oh wow breaking Yeah, yeah. 56 00:02:50,693 --> 00:02:53,373 Speaker 3: Oh my gosh. Okay, yeah, that's a huge effort. So 57 00:02:53,413 --> 00:02:56,213 Speaker 3: do you have to ride the entire line or the 58 00:02:56,293 --> 00:02:57,533 Speaker 3: kind of options along the way. 59 00:02:58,133 --> 00:03:01,413 Speaker 2: Yes, there are options that they do six different tours, 60 00:03:01,453 --> 00:03:04,173 Speaker 2: so whether you're after a half day excursion, full day 61 00:03:04,253 --> 00:03:08,253 Speaker 2: or multi day, there's something for you. I took the 62 00:03:08,613 --> 00:03:13,853 Speaker 2: full day excursion to fung A Mormona. But the thing 63 00:03:13,933 --> 00:03:17,773 Speaker 2: about the track Jack is that and there's so many 64 00:03:17,813 --> 00:03:21,453 Speaker 2: information panels along the line. It took over thirty years 65 00:03:21,493 --> 00:03:26,413 Speaker 2: to build this railway line, so It was originally developed 66 00:03:26,453 --> 00:03:32,533 Speaker 2: to help get timber coal farm produce out of that 67 00:03:32,653 --> 00:03:35,733 Speaker 2: hinterland onto the main trunk line at tomat and Nui 68 00:03:35,813 --> 00:03:38,533 Speaker 2: and then up to Auckland. But some of the engineering 69 00:03:38,573 --> 00:03:41,533 Speaker 2: and you can see vestiges of this along the way. 70 00:03:41,973 --> 00:03:47,933 Speaker 2: For example, they built these massive timber trestle viaducts right 71 00:03:47,933 --> 00:03:52,693 Speaker 2: across the ravines. The ravines were just like too high 72 00:03:53,013 --> 00:03:56,613 Speaker 2: to put a massive bridge across, so they built these 73 00:03:56,613 --> 00:04:00,133 Speaker 2: timber trustle viaducts which are now overgrown on Bosh. So 74 00:04:00,213 --> 00:04:02,453 Speaker 2: you can get off your cars along the line and 75 00:04:02,613 --> 00:04:06,013 Speaker 2: just stand on top of what beneath you a hew 76 00:04:06,573 --> 00:04:10,813 Speaker 2: timber trestle frames. So there's just some crazy stuff to do. 77 00:04:11,253 --> 00:04:12,773 Speaker 2: You want to if you want to do the entire 78 00:04:12,813 --> 00:04:15,253 Speaker 2: line to Stratford, that takes two days, but yeah, the 79 00:04:15,253 --> 00:04:17,413 Speaker 2: full day ride funger Mormona. 80 00:04:17,613 --> 00:04:21,013 Speaker 3: Highly recommend it and what like talk us through a 81 00:04:21,013 --> 00:04:23,053 Speaker 3: bit more funger Mormona for people who haven't heard of it. 82 00:04:23,253 --> 00:04:25,253 Speaker 3: What draws people there The. 83 00:04:25,253 --> 00:04:31,613 Speaker 2: Pub basically the watering hole, and it's so legendary and 84 00:04:31,653 --> 00:04:35,093 Speaker 2: it showcases the area's history on its walls. The actual 85 00:04:35,133 --> 00:04:39,093 Speaker 2: little town of funger Mormona looks like a movie set 86 00:04:39,133 --> 00:04:42,733 Speaker 2: for a western, it's just crazy. But the full drama 87 00:04:43,733 --> 00:04:48,053 Speaker 2: related to Funger Mormonar ensued in the eighties when the 88 00:04:48,133 --> 00:04:54,533 Speaker 2: town truist strop when the local government boundary changes decided 89 00:04:54,573 --> 00:04:58,373 Speaker 2: to put Funger Mormona in Manatu as opposed to Tartanaki, 90 00:04:58,453 --> 00:05:01,053 Speaker 2: and the locals whore in having that, so they declared 91 00:05:01,093 --> 00:05:05,133 Speaker 2: themselves the Republic, and every January they still celebrate the 92 00:05:05,133 --> 00:05:07,693 Speaker 2: Republic Day and elected PRIs incidents. You can even get 93 00:05:07,733 --> 00:05:09,853 Speaker 2: your passport stamped at the pub counter. 94 00:05:09,893 --> 00:05:14,893 Speaker 3: There are there lots of When you're on the rails themselves, 95 00:05:14,933 --> 00:05:17,533 Speaker 3: there are lots of tunnels and bridges and that kind 96 00:05:17,533 --> 00:05:17,933 Speaker 3: of stuff. 97 00:05:18,333 --> 00:05:22,573 Speaker 2: Ah, so many jack, Yeah, And I mean the scenery, 98 00:05:22,613 --> 00:05:26,253 Speaker 2: the wraparound scenery is deliriously good. But yes, ninety bridges, 99 00:05:26,373 --> 00:05:30,453 Speaker 2: twenty four tunnels on the full ride. Most of those 100 00:05:30,493 --> 00:05:33,813 Speaker 2: are actually on the full day from tamar Nui to 101 00:05:34,173 --> 00:05:39,013 Speaker 2: Funger Mormona. The highlight though, are those brick lined tunnels, 102 00:05:39,293 --> 00:05:43,613 Speaker 2: and they were laid by hand. So the longest tunnel 103 00:05:43,653 --> 00:05:48,253 Speaker 2: on the line, the Okoholka Tunnel, is fifteen hundred meters long. 104 00:05:48,293 --> 00:05:51,293 Speaker 2: It's one of New Zealand's longest tunnels. It's got three 105 00:05:51,333 --> 00:05:53,573 Speaker 2: and a half million bricks in it, and it took 106 00:05:53,613 --> 00:05:58,293 Speaker 2: the workers eight years to build that tunnel alone. I mean, 107 00:05:58,693 --> 00:06:02,573 Speaker 2: it's just crazy what we used to do. So yeah, 108 00:06:02,613 --> 00:06:05,573 Speaker 2: when you're in the middle of that tunnel, that really 109 00:06:05,653 --> 00:06:08,653 Speaker 2: is great encounter with pitch black darkness. 110 00:06:08,773 --> 00:06:11,853 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that's amazing. And what are the landscapes like 111 00:06:12,013 --> 00:06:12,573 Speaker 3: around there? 112 00:06:13,093 --> 00:06:16,133 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, the King Country. I've always been fascinated by 113 00:06:16,293 --> 00:06:19,013 Speaker 2: this chunk of New Zealand because you can see the 114 00:06:19,093 --> 00:06:24,733 Speaker 2: volcanic creation of the landscape. All of those really tightly folded, 115 00:06:24,893 --> 00:06:29,493 Speaker 2: steep sided hills, all created by lahars from topol and 116 00:06:29,653 --> 00:06:35,253 Speaker 2: rupahu eruptions. So the topography is riveting. I mean those 117 00:06:35,373 --> 00:06:38,413 Speaker 2: hills I reckon in some vantage points, they look like 118 00:06:38,613 --> 00:06:42,053 Speaker 2: pyramids rising up from the land. An Egyptian tourist would 119 00:06:42,093 --> 00:06:45,853 Speaker 2: be impressed in the scenery. Yeah, it's so ever changing. 120 00:06:46,093 --> 00:06:49,533 Speaker 2: We created our way through this magnificentative forest where the 121 00:06:49,573 --> 00:06:53,853 Speaker 2: local ewe you are currently reintroducing Kiwied to the Bosh. 122 00:06:54,053 --> 00:06:58,213 Speaker 2: You see towering parper cliffs rising up from the railway line. 123 00:06:58,253 --> 00:07:00,373 Speaker 2: So yeah, it really is a banger of a trip. 124 00:07:00,933 --> 00:07:04,693 Speaker 2: Clattering along those tracks. It's just such a lonely remote 125 00:07:04,813 --> 00:07:07,733 Speaker 2: heart of the center North Island, and I think every 126 00:07:07,813 --> 00:07:08,573 Speaker 2: key we should do it. 127 00:07:08,653 --> 00:07:12,733 Speaker 3: Yeah, sounds amazing, fantastic. Okay, so that is the Forgotten 128 00:07:12,773 --> 00:07:15,133 Speaker 3: World and the King Country. We'll put all the details 129 00:07:15,133 --> 00:07:17,373 Speaker 3: for riding the rails through the Forgotten World up on 130 00:07:17,413 --> 00:07:20,693 Speaker 3: the News Talk's 'DB website and catch you again next week, 131 00:07:20,773 --> 00:07:23,493 Speaker 3: hopefully a few dozen bluff oysters deep by then. 132 00:07:23,573 --> 00:07:28,173 Speaker 1: Mate, Awesome Jack, Thank you for more from Saturday Morning 133 00:07:28,213 --> 00:07:31,413 Speaker 1: with Jack Tame. Listen live to Newstalks 'DB from nine 134 00:07:31,493 --> 00:07:34,653 Speaker 1: am Saturday, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.