Wingatui
Encyclopedia
Wingatui is a small settlement almost 15 kilometres west of Dunedin
, and two kilometres east of Mosgiel
. It has become a suburb of Mosgiel, but continues to maintain its own unique identity and heritage.
Known primarily for its railway station and for Wingatui Racecourse, Wingatui is home to an increasing population of nearly 1,200 people, according to the 2006 census. Wingatui enjoys a low unemployent rate and generally high level of income compared with Dunedin generally.
Wingatui is one of the principal stops on the Taieri Gorge Railway
, and is also the entrance point to the currently defunct Chain Hills Tunnel single track rail tunnel, which links Wingatui with the Dunedin suburb of Abbotsford to the east. Construction of the railway at Wingatui began in 1879. Local action groups are working with the Dunedin City Council in assessing the possibility of refurbishing and re-opening the disused tunnel to cycle and pedestrian traffic.
Wingatui is home to several lifestyle blocks, the owners of many of which keep horses and are associated with the horse racing
industry. On race days, trains from Dunedin are known to carry several hundred racegoers through to Wingatui railway station for races.
Dunedin
Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until...
, and two kilometres east of Mosgiel
Mosgiel
Mosgiel is an urban satellite of Dunedin in Otago, New Zealand, fifteen kilometres west of the city's centre. Since the re-organisation of New Zealand local government in 1989 it has been inside the Dunedin City Council area, but was physically separate from the contiguous suburbs until...
. It has become a suburb of Mosgiel, but continues to maintain its own unique identity and heritage.
Known primarily for its railway station and for Wingatui Racecourse, Wingatui is home to an increasing population of nearly 1,200 people, according to the 2006 census. Wingatui enjoys a low unemployent rate and generally high level of income compared with Dunedin generally.
Wingatui is one of the principal stops on the Taieri Gorge Railway
Taieri Gorge Railway
The Taieri Gorge Railway is a railway line and tourist train operation based at Dunedin Railway Station in the South Island of New Zealand...
, and is also the entrance point to the currently defunct Chain Hills Tunnel single track rail tunnel, which links Wingatui with the Dunedin suburb of Abbotsford to the east. Construction of the railway at Wingatui began in 1879. Local action groups are working with the Dunedin City Council in assessing the possibility of refurbishing and re-opening the disused tunnel to cycle and pedestrian traffic.
Wingatui is home to several lifestyle blocks, the owners of many of which keep horses and are associated with the horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
industry. On race days, trains from Dunedin are known to carry several hundred racegoers through to Wingatui railway station for races.