Mokotua
Encyclopedia
Mokotua is a locality in the Southland Region
of New Zealand
's South Island
. It is situated in a rural area east of Invercargill
, between Timpanys
and Kapuka
on the Southern Scenic Route
. To the south are Toetoes Bay
and Waituna Lagoon; Rimu is to the north.
was extended from Waimatua to Mokotua, with the station located 19.77 km from Invercargill by rail. On 1 March 1895, the next section of the line opened, with the new terminus in Gorge Road
. Passengers from Mokotua were always carried on mixed train
s, and when the line's profitability declined, these services were cut to run just once weekly in 1951, with goods-only trains on the other days. Passenger provisions were cancelled outright in 1 June 1960, and Mokotua's station catered solely for local freight from this date. Freight was predominantly for farming
interests, such as agricultural lime
. The elimination of passenger services did not rescue the line from unprofitability, and it closed on 31 March 1966. Some remnants of the railway's formation
can still be seen in the vicinity of Mokotua.
Southland Region
Southland is New Zealand's southernmost region and is also a district within that region. It consists mainly of the southwestern portion of the South Island and Stewart Island / Rakiura...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's South Island
South Island
The South Island is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand, the other being the more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean...
. It is situated in a rural area east of Invercargill
Invercargill
Invercargill is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff,...
, between Timpanys
Timpanys
Timpanys is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated in a rural area east of Invercargill and is on the Southern Scenic Route between Waimatua and Mokotua...
and Kapuka
Kapuka, New Zealand
Kapuka is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is situated between Mokotua to the west and Ashers to the east on the Southern Scenic Route; Oteramika is to the north, and Kapuka South, Waituna Lagoon, and Toetoes Bay are to the south.- Economy :Agriculture figures...
on the Southern Scenic Route
Southern Scenic Route
The Southern Scenic Route is a tourist highway in New Zealand linking Queenstown, Fiordland, Te Anau and the iconic Milford Road to Dunedin via, Riverton, Invercargill and The Catlins...
. To the south are Toetoes Bay
Toetoes Bay
Toetoes Bay is the easternmost of three large bays lying on the Foveaux Strait coast of Southland, New Zealand, the others being Te Waewae Bay and Oreti Beach. Thirty kilometres in length, the bay is the southern end of the Awarua Plain, an area of swampy land stretching inland for about fifteen...
and Waituna Lagoon; Rimu is to the north.
Railway
Mokotua was once a railway terminus. On 16 January 1888, the Seaward Bush BranchTokanui Branch
The Tokanui Branch, also known as the Seaward Bush Branch, was a branch line railway located in Southland, New Zealand. It diverged from the Bluff Branch south of the main railway station in Invercargill and ran for 54 kilometres in a southeasterly direction...
was extended from Waimatua to Mokotua, with the station located 19.77 km from Invercargill by rail. On 1 March 1895, the next section of the line opened, with the new terminus in Gorge Road
Gorge Road
Gorge Road is a locality in the Southland Region of New Zealand's South Island. It is on the Southern Scenic Route and is situated on the western bank of the Mataura River...
. Passengers from Mokotua were always carried on mixed train
Mixed train
A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars or wagons. In the early days of railways they were quite common, but by the 20th century they were largely confined to branch lines with little traffic. As the trains provided passengers with very slow service, mixed trains have...
s, and when the line's profitability declined, these services were cut to run just once weekly in 1951, with goods-only trains on the other days. Passenger provisions were cancelled outright in 1 June 1960, and Mokotua's station catered solely for local freight from this date. Freight was predominantly for farming
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
interests, such as agricultural lime
Agricultural lime
Agricultural lime, also called aglime, agricultural limestone, garden lime or liming, is a soil additive made from pulverized limestone or chalk. The primary active component is calcium carbonate...
. The elimination of passenger services did not rescue the line from unprofitability, and it closed on 31 March 1966. Some remnants of the railway's formation
Track bed
A track bed or trackbed is the term used to describe the groundwork onto which a railway track is laid. Trackbeds of disused railways are sometimes used for recreational paths or new light rail links....
can still be seen in the vicinity of Mokotua.