Wharanui
Encyclopedia
Wharanui is a small village located in Marlborough
on the east coast of New Zealand
's South Island
between Ward
and Kaikoura
. State Highway 1
and the Main North Line railway both pass through the village. For over a decade, Wharanui was the southern terminus of a railway that ran from Picton
south through Blenheim
. The railway reached Wharanui by 1915 and it was intended to continue the line southwards via Kaikoura to a line being built north from Christchurch
that had its current terminus in Parnassus
, but World War I
stopped construction and Wharanui remained the southern terminus of the isolated Blenheim section. Work south from Wharanui did not recommence until 1928, and delays caused by the Great Depression
and World War II
meant the line was not completed until 1945. Wharanui railway station is still in use today, primarily as the southern base for bank engine
s used to help heavy trains on the line from Picton.
A small church is located in Wharanui, called St Oswald's Church.
Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough is one of the regions of New Zealand, located in the northeast of the South Island. Marlborough is a unitary authority, both a region and a district, and its council is located at Blenheim. Marlborough is known for its dry climate, the picturesque Marlborough Sounds, and sauvignon blanc...
on the east coast 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...
between Ward
Ward, New Zealand
Ward is a small town in Marlborough, New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1, 20 kilometres south of Seddon. Kaikoura is 82 km to the southwest...
and Kaikoura
Kaikoura
Kaikoura is a town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. It is located on State Highway 1 180 km north of Christchurch.Kaikoura became the first local authority to reach the Green Globe tourism certification standard....
. State Highway 1
State Highway 1 (New Zealand)
State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand roading network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the...
and the Main North Line railway both pass through the village. For over a decade, Wharanui was the southern terminus of a railway that ran from Picton
Picton, New Zealand
Picton is a town in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It is close to the head of Queen Charlotte Sound near the north-east corner of the South Island. The population was 2928 in the 2006 Census, a decrease of 72 from 2001...
south through Blenheim
Blenheim, New Zealand
Blenheim is the most populous town in the region of Marlborough, in the north east of the South Island of New Zealand, and the seat of the regional council. It has a population of The area which surrounds the town is well known as a centre of New Zealand's wine industry...
. The railway reached Wharanui by 1915 and it was intended to continue the line southwards via Kaikoura to a line being built north from Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
that had its current terminus in Parnassus
Parnassus, New Zealand
Parnassus is a town located in the Canterbury region's Hurunui District on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the north bank of the Waiau River and the 2001 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings gave its usually resident population as 900, a decline of 6.8% or...
, but World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
stopped construction and Wharanui remained the southern terminus of the isolated Blenheim section. Work south from Wharanui did not recommence until 1928, and delays caused by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
meant the line was not completed until 1945. Wharanui railway station is still in use today, primarily as the southern base for bank engine
Bank engine
A bank engine or helper engine or pusher engine is a railway locomotive that temporarily assists a train that requires additional power or traction to climb a grade...
s used to help heavy trains on the line from Picton.
A small church is located in Wharanui, called St Oswald's Church.