Keirunga Park Railway, Havelock North - Photo Gallery - for miniature steam, diesel and electric train rides around picturesque grounds.

Easter 2009

Easter Weekend 2009 at Keirunga was perfect! The weather was perfect! The track was perfect!

A huge crowd turned up every day to enjoy the variety of locos running on the track during the weekend, from afar away as Manukau, Wellington and Rotorua. A new visitor was Robert from Manukau with his Hunslett, and boy did he have a good time!

The club gave nearly 5000 rides during the weekend, from babies to grandies, and the odd dog or two as well.

The Hawkes Bay weather was perfect - four cloudless, windless, warm days and a full moon at night. While Friday was a little chilly after the southerly had blown through which delivered snow to the Tararuas, Saturday to Monday were just lovely autumn days. The trees around the track were changing colour and losing their leaves, and the picturesque Keirunga track was a wonderful place for a picnic and a ride for families and couples alike.

The club had spent several days preparing the track for the weekend's running, including building a new bridge, replacing sleepers, sweeping the track, plantings, and painting, and it was as pretty as a picture. The club ladies kept the drivers and support crew fed with enormous dinners, and tasty lunches.

Sitting watching the activities, you could hear the giggling of children waving, and chatting of adults, amongst the puffing, whistling, tooting, screeching, shushing, whooshing and clickety-clacking of the fully-loaded trains as they chuffed out of the station on their way around the track. Even a birthday group turned up, which fully occupied one train for several circuits of the park.

The photos below, show some of the activities from the weekend, and you can view more photos from the links on our Photos page.

Keirunga resplendent.
Keirunga resplendent - just waiting for the crowds.