Waitakere Tram

The other week we had Megan’s Dad come and stay for the weekend. This got us out of the house. One highlight was the Waitakere Tramline.

Nestled just above the Waitakere Filter station (shoves chemicals into otherwise filthy water to make it palitable for water hungry Auckland), is the rather miniature (doesn’t Megan look comfortable) railway.

The story (at least the way I remember it) is that when they were building the dam (pictured below) they hawled all the materials for the construction (except for the gravel for the concrete) from the train station in West Auckland to the dam, by a pony (or donkey or something) drawn tram. So, there were never any passengers, and all the tunnels were only built to be big enough for a pony.

So, if you happen to be bigger than a pony, tough. In fact, there are some hairy moments where the tram slows down and you have to squeeze all your limbs inside the tram (fairly tricky for some of us) as there is a clearance of just a few centimetres.

All up the experience was definitely worth doing. Adults are $10 and kids are $5.

It reminded me of the log flume ride at Rainbows End. The similarity was so striking that as we cruised through the tunnels with trickeling water running down them, I struggled to believe that the rock walls were rock, and not painted plaster. The feelings were enhanced by features like this.

If you’re looking for something to do in Auckland (about half an hour’s drive from the central city), and want to get a taste of the beautiful Waitakere Ranges, I would recommend you give the Waitakere Tramline a go.