About Old Coach Road
Exploring Today
What to Do
The Local Area
Extra Info
Welcome to The Ohakune Coach Road
Walking or riding along the historic cobblestone Ohakune Coach Road through a bush corridor on the slopes of Mount Ruapehu is an exciting adventure, a journey back in time.
Look for the concrete piers for the bridge which crossed the Haeremaere Stream on the original railway alignment, the steel lattice Taonui Railway Viaduct, and enjoy expansive views across the Waimarino Plains.
Magnificent Rimu trees, native falcons screaming through the air, pigeons flying between the tree tops, the curved steel lattice Hapuawhenua Viaduct alongside the 1987 concrete Hapuawhenua Viaduct and of course, the old railway tunnel.
If you time it right, around 1:30pm, you may see the Kiwi Rail Overlander crossing the Hapuawhenua Viaduct.
Information panels along the route tell the history of the Ohakune Coach Road and the railway construction.
Because Horopito is about 500 feet higher than Ohakune, it is easier to walk or ride downhill from Horopito to Ohakune.
The walk from Horopito to Ohakune, including a lunch break, takes about five hours.
The trip is one way, so you will need transport to Horopito, and a pickup at the Ohakune end.
There are many stories to share of the early days of the road and the rail.
