Organised by the Lions Club of Dunedin South, the inaugural Taieri Gorge Rail Walk took walkers from Flat Stream to Deep Stream over bridges and through tunnels.
The great conditions meant that most completed the 6.78km walk in less than 90 minutes.
Safety was paramount for the organisers and care was needed to negotiate some occasional loose gravel but the spectacular views were well worth the effort.
Lions Club of Dunedin South member and event co-ordinator Graeme Elliot and his team of 25 Lions volunteers executed a flawless event, which was pronounced a resounding success. The day was ‘‘really fantastic'', with everybody happy to have the opportunity to walk from Flat Stream to Deep Stream, Mr Elliot said.
A fundraiser for the Dunedin Hospital children's ward, the event was also supported by Taieri Gorge Ltd workers, who gave up their income for the day, while Chris Kennedy, of Harcourts Epic Realty, auctioned off original 1856 pieces of the Taieri Gorge rail line and the book Otago Central Railway - A Tribute, by Tony Hurst. More than $13,500 was raised.
The late Wax Preston, a Lions Club stalwart who was one of the original driving forces behind the Taieri Gorge Rail Walk, was remembered by many walkers, including his widow Gretchen Olliver-Preston, his children, stepchildren and 3-month-old grandson Joshua Evangelou. Mr Preston's stepson, Gerard Olliver, drove the train for the event, along with Ken Sloper.
The Lions Club of Dunedin South has booked the Taieri Gorge Ltd train for Sunday, May 2, 2010, and is determined to make the walk an annual event.
-- By Sonia Gill and Brenda Harwood
