Railbridge supports

The walk through the Kawatiri rail tunnel ends above the Hope River, where you can see the supports for the old railbridge. The track goes up and over the tunnel, following the bend in the river, then loops back down to the southern end of the tunnel and you can follow the track back to the carpark at Kawatiri Junction. The bend in the river is called Woodhen Bend, suggesting that weka used to be common in the area. Newport’s 1962 history of the Nelson back country says that the weka of Woodhen Bend had white wings. This wouldn’t be an extinct species but a variant of the western weka found in the Tasman District.