When Durie Hill became part of Wanganui Borough in 1910, access was via a concrete staircase (a 191-step staircase still exists today).[The Council needed to provide public transport to the hilltop settlement, however. Various solutions including a cable car were proposed, but an elevator up through the hill was decided upon, as "the most convenient, the safest, the most economical, and the most suited for the circumstances of the particular locality
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4cLYgCM6dw
Karangahake Gorge, the East Coast Main Trunk Railway used to run through the gorge until it was bypassed by the Kaimai Deviation - and the Karangahake Gorge section is now a combined walkway and cycleway, part of the Hauraki Rail Trail. Come and join me on this walk.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdrD3HwL7AU