Manawatu rail: Awa Puni Traditional Geocache
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One of a series of simple, easy to find, caches at railway stations in and around the Manawatu.
Welcome aboard the Foxton-Palmerston tram service to Palmerston! Last stop Longburn, next stop Palmerston. Branch service to the Awapuni Racecourse leaves here, next stop Racecourse.
Awa Puni (renamed to Awapuni about 1905) station was another little station, not much more than a simple shelter shed. The properties opposite and towards Palmerston were all owned by the Scanadavians who were brought in by the Bishop Monrad to help work on the construction of the Foxton-Palmerston tramline - this section of track was known as the Scandy Straight. Although the first thing the Scanadvians did was build their own houses, the properties were eventually gifted to them as part of payment for the completion of the contract, in 1873. So this station's initial purpose was probably to pick up the workforce to carry them to the workface, as the line slowly made it's way to Foxton.
It was Awapuni Racecourse that kept this station alive. Visitors to the races would get off the station here, and walk to the races. The course, grandstand, stables, etc were built in 1903 and by the end of 1904 the Manawatu Racing Club had built their own line connecting here. It was a popular little line, even having excursion trains to the races to and from Wellington.
"Awa Puni" means "dammed river" and refers to Awapuni Lagoon, a nearly 2km long ox-bow lake. The lake has since been drained, although some remnants remain. The lake is now the Mangaone, Rangitane and Otira Parks.
As you go for the cache, have a look around you. You are standing right on the rail line embankment, and you can clearly see it stretching towards Foxton. Just a few meters towards Palmerston North, the line crossed the Managaone Stream. You can still see the remains of the foundations of the rail bridge. The bridge and rails were pulled out in 1964 after the current Palmerston North railway station took over passenger traffic.
The original Awa Puni signboard, with a new lease of life at the Marriner St miniature railway.
References:
Cassells, K.R.: "The Foxton and Wanganui Railway", published by the New Zealand Railway and Locomotive Society, 1984.
Manawatu Times, 27 April 1907
Evening Post, 18 December 1908
Manawatu Standard, 23 December 1903
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Ntncnagun, Ybatohea fvqr