Tunnels in New Zealand
This list of
Tunnels in New Zealand is a link page for any
railway tunnel,
road tunnel or
waterway tunnel, including any
hydroelectric intake or tailrace or gun battery tunnel anywhere in the
New Zealand. It includes man-made chambers but excludes
caves and
mines.
- Note: This list is not exhaustive.
Hydroelectric Tunnels and Chambers
- Manapouri Power Station
- Manapouri Tailrace - 2 Tunnels
- Tongariro Power Scheme
Gun Battery or Military Tunnels
Railway Tunnels
From longest to shortest.
- Kaimai - 8879 m - opened 12 September 1978 - at Apata on the East Coast Main Trunk Line to Tauranga.
- Rimutaka - 8798 m - opened October 29(?) 1955 - between Upper Hutt (Wellington) and Featherston (Wairarapa), replaced the Rimutaka Incline, a Fell mountain railway.
- Otira - 8566 m - opened 1923 - between Arthurs Pass and Otira, in the Southern Alps on the trans alpine South Island Midland Line - continuous 1 in 33 grade - electrified until 1990s.
- Tawa No. 2 - 4324 m - opened 1935, goods on 1 line, 1937 all traffic - longest double track tunnel in New Zealand. Between Wellington and Tawa.
- Tikiwhata - 2989 m - opened 1943, between Wairoa and Gisborne.
- Lyttelton - 2596 m - opened 1867, between Heathcote valley, (Christchurch) and Lyttelton.
- Turakina - 2091 m - opened 1947, between Marton and Wanganui.
Shortest Tunnels not constructed by the cut and cover technique
- A 39.83 m long tunnel - opened 1906, between Staircase and Avoca, South Island Midland Line.
- A 42.05 m long tunnel - opened in 1891, near Woodville, in the Manawatu Gorge.
Some Disused Railway Tunnels
- Cruickshanks Tunnel - opened January 1 1878, between Mangaroa and Upper Hutt.
- Mangaroa Tunnel - 152 m - opened January 1 1878, at Tunnel Gully recreation area, Te Marua, Upper Hutt.
- Summit - 584 m, and 3 other shorter tunnels, opened October 12 1878 on the Rimutaka Incline walkway.
Sources for Railway Tunnels:
New Zealand Railway Tunnels at 31st March 1975
Exploring New Zealand's Ghost Railways, David Leitch and Brian Scott, Grantham House Publishing, Wellington (1995).
Road Tunnels
- Lyttelton Road Tunnel - 1900 m - opened 1964, on SH74 between Lyttelton and the Heathcote valley in Christchurch.
- Homer Tunnel - 1200 m - opened 1953 on SH 94 between Hollyford Valley and Milford Sound, Fiordland. Altitude 945m. Unlined rock, unlit.
- Victoria Tunnel - 600 m - opened 1931, Mount Victoria, Wellington
- Karori Tunnel, Kelburn Wellington
- Hataitai - bus tunnel, Mount Victoria, Wellington
- The Terrace Motorway Tunnel, under The Terrace, Wellington
- Moki Tunnel - approx 200 m, SH43 between Whanagmomona and Taumarunui - uses wooden shoring.
- There are 2 short road tunnels on State Highway 1, on the coast a few kilometres south of Kaikoura
- There are short tunnels on SH3 between New Plymouth and Te Kuiti - one at the summit of Mt Messenger and one in the Awakino gorge.
See also: List of Tunnels of the World.