West coast update

Following on from my trip down south, I have recieved the following information from a well known Chch modeler.

Saturday was lovely and we spent all day at Rewanui. No problem getting up
there at all.  Although we walked, the road is passable to a standard car
for 99% of the way.  There are one or two sections that have washed out and
been repaired a bit roughly.  I'd get a car up there, but you'd want a bit
of clearance.  Although the entrance is gated, I'm guessing you'd get
permission easily enough as there is no reason not to give it.

There's very little to see railway wise.  Its just a nice walk.  Of course
we wanted to get a scenic flavour for the layout and it was good for that.

For the record the following are left:

* Tunnels 1/2
* The formation with the odd bit of centre rail in the bush if you look
hard.
* bridge 20
* Up to the first pier of Bridge 18 - but largely buried.
* The pattern shop
* Another building on the hill I've never seen.  The roof is obvious, but
there is no clear way to it and I always forget to look as you cannot see it
from up close.
* Some power poles
* Spark and Party bins
* lots of tubs
* Some bin steelwork.
* Stacks of sleeper and rail embedded in gorse.
* The station and yard proper has completely gone.  If you look really hard
you can find some platform edging.

He also has some photos up here which as an added bonus show Barry Fitzgerald in his natural habitat.