Chateau Tongariro


In 1925, Sir James Gunson drove the first car to Whakapapa. The new ‘highway’ was pushed through towards Mt Ruapehu with the help of labour from the Whakapapa prison camp early in 1925 under the supervision of Dave Dunlop. Until then the approach to Whakapapa had been only for the fit and strong. There were miles upon miles of wild country to cross on foot or horseback, wild rivers to ford and mountainous terrain to navigate.

The Tongariro Park Tourist Company limited was formed with a grand vision to build the Chateau, an elegant Georgian structure of four stories and basement, alongside the original Whakapapa Ski huts. The Chateau, styled after the Canadian Resort of Lake Louise, was built to offer overseas tourists an International standard of accommodation to stay in.

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Kaikawaka Villa
The rustic looking 'Kaikawaka Villa', near Raurimu, was constructed in the 1930s by the Bowley brothers and is now rare example of a shelter built for, and by, bushmen.

Such quickly constructed bushmen's huts were only intended to last until the timber supply cut out: George and Charles Bowley built a number of huts during their time in the bush, but it is remarkable that even one has survived. The Kaikawaka Villa has physical importance as a rare remaining example of a particular construction technique. To erect the hut, the Bowley brothers used split kaikawaka timber slabs sourced on site for both walls and roof over a frame of timber in the round creating a one room gabled roofed structure. They also incorporated some recycled materials, such as flour sacks and bricks.

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Bridge to Nowhere
This bridge is the unofficial flagship of Whanganui National Park, an iconic symbol for New Zealand adventure tourism and a major visitor destination on the Whanganui Journey.

It is still used as a trampers’ bridge at the southern access point to the Mangapurua Valley.
It was constructed in the mid-1930s to provide road access to the lower and middle valley farms known as the Mangapurua Valley Soldiers Settlement.

By the time it was completed these areas of the Mangapurua Valley were deserted, the bridge rarely used and the construction of the road to the Whanganui River abandoned.

Bridge to Nowhere is special because:
• It is the largest and most intact structure relating to the former Mangapurua Valley Soldiers Settlement.
• It has a Historic Places Trust Category I listing and is representative of the ill-fated settlement theme.

Bridge to Nowhere video
Bridge to Nowhere Walk
Bridge to Nowhere fact sheet (PDF, 465K)
Bridge to Nowhere photo journal (PDF, 560K)

Raurimu Spiral

Opened in 1908, the North Island Main Trunk Railway linked Auckland with Wellington, Taranaki and Wanganui. Southbound trains from Taumarunui climb 636 metres in only 52 kilometres to National Park, the steepest gradient being 1 in 50, laid out in the form of an ascending spiral, incorporating a complete circle, three horseshoe curves, and two short tunnels.

Passenger excursions to view the spiral can be arranged either as a return or single trip between National Park Village and Taumarunui on the afternoon Overlander service with panoramic viewing windows.

Alternatively, you can see three levels of the Spiral from a viewing platform at Raurimu.

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Te Porere Redoubt 1869

The Te Porere redoubts and associated rifle pit are located within Te Porere Reserve, off State Highway 47 to the southwest of Turangi. They are the physical remnants of the battle of Te Porere that occurred between government forces and Te Kooti and his supporters on 4 October 1869. The government forces attacked the rifle pit and lower redoubt before proceeding towards the upper redoubt. The upper redoubt was taken relatively quickly but Te Kooti managed to avoid capture or death by escaping into the nearby bush. The battle of Te Porere resulted in 41 casualties - 37 of Te Kooti's supporters were killed, whilst the government forces only suffered four losses.

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Waihohunu Hut
This hut was completed in 1904 by the Tourist and Health Resorts Department for park visitors and tourists travelling by coach from Waiouru or Tokaanu. Intensive tourist use dropped off in 1908 with the opening of the Main Trunk railway on the other side of the park. It was nevertheless used by early skiing parties and was the base for the first alpine skiing expedition in July 1913 by William Mead and Bernard Drake - the founding members of the Ruapehu Ski club. Its use ended in 1968, when it was replaced by a new Waihohonu hut. After 1979 the then Tongariro National Park Board discouraged its overnight use. It has been maintained as an unused historic hut since then. Historic themes are mountain recreation, and tourism.

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Glacier Hut
Glacier Hut was built in 1923 by Bill Salt and a team of volunteers from the Ruapehu Ski Club 10 years after the club, New Zealand’s first, was established. It was the only structure on the ski field for 13 years. It was eventually superseded as facilities on the mountain improved. It was enlarged in 1946 and used as a storeroom from 1949. It was later cleaned out, in 1961, to display club memorabilia. In 1989 it was restored and converted to a skiing museum.

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Glacier Hut was named after the Whakapapa Glacier which in the 1920s was a lot lower than it is now. The hut was the only structure in the vicinity for some years, and after heavy snow it sometimes disappeared altogether. Although rudimentary it served the club well until it was superseded by larger and better huts starting with a building known simply as 'Hut', a twelve, later twenty-four, bunk hut completed in 1936. Glacier Hut was used mainly as overflow accommodation from then on.

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Westlawn Hut
Westlawn Hut is situated at Waiouru Military Camp on Argo Road. It is understood to have been built around 1900 for the musterers working on Ohinewairua Station, and is a historical reminder of Waiouru's pastoral industry that began in the 1870s and continued through to the mid 20th century. The land on which Westlawn Hut is located was gazetted for defence purposes in 1961 and the hut began to be used recreationally by soldiers from Waiouru Military Camp until a more modern hut was constructed across the road. Westlawn Hut has been described as a fine example of early twentieth century rural architecture.

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