Driving Creek Railway is a fun experience and a remarkable story of someone realising their dream. In 1973, Barry Brickell bought land around Driving Creek, just north of Coromandel Town, for its terracotta clay to support a cooperative pottery. Barry was one of the first full-time handcraft potters in NZ and used the facility to teach others the craft.
Being in relatively remote Coromandel also benefitted him, allowing him to avoid those wishing to regulate his burgeoning business and communal lifestyle. The pottery was established, and young potters started turning up to be trained, funded by the sale of the wares. In addition, the land was mainly farmland when Barry acquired it, and Barry decided to restore it to its pre-European state. He and the potters planted over 27,000 native trees over 30 years. Today, the property is covered in second-generation native forest and is QEII covenanted to protect the land in perpetuity.
Word of the pottery spread among the Coromandel hippie trail, and the sculptures were in demand around the region and Auckland. The railway arose as a solution to a practical problem. A narrow-gauge railway was initially built to transport clay 50 metres from the original clay pit to the pottery's pugmil. After his kiln smoked out, his neighbours, resulting in sculptures being given in compensation, it was moved up the hillside. A 250-meter second railway with a bridge and tunnel was built to transport wood to fire the kiln and finished sculptures.
The railway added to the pottery's tourist value, attracting more visitors. In 1982, an open-sided passenger wagon and engine were introduced. A license was required to charge fares, so passengers were asked to make donations. In 1990, stricter engineering checks were introduced, leading to a passenger license and paid trips.
Today, the result is a fabulous experience for travellers, incorporating the pottery and a train ride in the forest to a fantastic viewpoint at the Eyefulls (pun fully intended!).
The train ride is a paid activity. There is also a shop where you can purchase products from the pottery and a zipline experience.
To get to Driving Creek, head north through Coromandel Town to Colville Road, then turn almost immediately right onto Driving Creek Road.
