First, we went off to the Driving Creek Potteries and Railway, which is about the most Kiwi place you'll find. The owner, Barry, began back in the 1970s when he bought the land. Barry is a potter, and he needed to move clay down the mountain to his studio. Naturally, being a Kiwi, he built a narrow-gauge railroad (apparently using only a swiss army knife, duct tape, and some aluminum foil). Over time, his railway expanded, and was very popular with his friends and visitors. Eventually, he opened it up to the public, where it is now a major tourist attraction. It is a beautiful railway, but there are times where we yearn for US-style safety protections. It looks like a labor of love, which it is, but a labor of engineering might be a bit sturdier!The railway goes back and forth up the side of the mountain, ending at an observation platform high above the ocean. Alexander, of course, was completely captivated. We began in the last car, but at one point the engineer moved to our end. Alexander immediately concentrated on close observation on how to drive the train. When the engineer changed ends again, Alexander was ready to take over driving.
Surrounding the railway is the pottery shop, short wilderness walks, and numerous other things to do. All done, it appears, on weekends and evenings by people with enthusiasm and a New Zealand "forget the lawyers, let's just do it" attitude.
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| Coromandel Train |
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