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Kōrero: King Country region

North Island main trunk line: Raurimu spiral

Video file

The Raurimu spiral is the North Island main trunk line's most impressive engineering feat. The land rose sharply between National Park and Raurimu. Laying the track in a spiral formation and running it through tunnels allowed trains to gain the necessary altitude. This clip from the 1981 television series Landmarks,presented by geographer Kenneth Cumberland, explains the spiral's design. 

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

TVNZ Television New Zealand

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Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Kerryn Pollock, King Country region – Transport and infrastructure, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/video/34902/north-island-main-trunk-line-raurimu-spiral (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Kerryn Pollock, i tāngia i te 6 December 2011, updated 1 March 2015.