Rimutakas Summit Cafe'

[bistard]

Thats just wrong,I make a point of buying something everytime I stop up there,knowing full well this was going to happen
I suggest everybody does the same if not allready

[FlangMasterJ]

Come to think of it I have yet to enter the Summit cafe even though I have been traversing the 'Hill' my whole life. Maybe I should pop in before it's too late.

[Lissa]

Just be mindful of what Kinje's day job is when choosing your riding companions, should the call of nature overcome you.

What you think HES quick enough to catch me? Damn I'm not riding with him anymore... not when I have to go to the loo.

Yea I will make an effort to buy something everytime I go up there... usually just buy a diet coke.

[Hitcher]

I don't think that a sudden influx of people wanting to spend their money at the Rimutaka Cafe will make a jot of difference. The decision to close has been made. Yet another case of people not appreciating what they've got until it's gone. Use it or lose it.

[bistard]

I don't think that a sudden influx of people wanting to spend their money at the Rimutaka Cafe will make a jot of difference. The decision to close has been made. Yet another case of people not appreciating what they've got until it's gone. Use it or lose it.

Mmm,Sad but true!!

[Grub]

I wonder if an email campaign to the Welly Regional Council would be too late? anyone familiar with their decision-making process or know a council mmeber they can ask?

[Lissa]

Its true Hitch.. but most times I go up, its closed anyway. When it is open I always see people in there.. its just a shame that they have so many problems with electricity supply etc.

[Hitcher]

I wonder if an email campaign to the Welly Regional Council would be too late? anyone familiar with their decision-making process or know a council mmeber they can ask?

The GWRC process only relates to the dunnies atop the Takas, not to the store. That process has run through all of its public submission stages and is now a done deal. I don't think that councillors would be swayed by people who think they may like to use public toilets, otherwise every public lay-by would need to have these.

The cost of maintaining those toilets is significant -- as there is no city water supply, electricity or sewerage, vandalism is an issue, and it's a long way for people to travel to service this amenity.

[oldrider]

All these comments suggest to me me that it probably wont be long before the Taka road is straightened out like the old Wainuiomata road was!

I remember the shock I got when I returned to find what they had done to the Wainui road!

After all it is not a very long piece of road and it wouldn't take too much to do it.

It would really open up the Wairarapa / Wellington access considerably and remove another bottleneck.

Alternatively a road tunnel is not out of the question either! John.

[Lissa]

All these comments suggest to me me that it probably wont be long before the Taka road is straightened out like the old Wainuiomata road was!

I remember the shock I got when I returned to find what they had done to the Wainui road!

After all it is not a very long piece of road and it wouldn't take too much to do it.

It would really open up the Wairarapa / Wellington access considerably and remove another bottleneck.

Alternatively a road tunnel is not out of the question either! John.

They have been talking about a road tunnel for years, its never going to happen. Would be great access for the wellys coming over.. but geez we get enough of them as it is... !!

[Hitcher]

Correction, the GWRC decision does relate to the store as well. It's on leased GWRC land.

[oldrider]

They have been talking about a road tunnel for years, its never going to happen. Would be great access for the wellys coming over.. but geez we get enough of them as it is... !!

That's why I referred to the Wainuiomata hill road, the same talk went on for years, then suddenly it was done!

Today you may not be able to appreciate what a steep narrow windy dusty little access road it was to Wainuiomata in the early days! (great on a bike)

Nobody but the most optimistic extroverts ever believed it would change in our lifetimes, now hardly anyone can remember what it was like.

The same thing goes for the rail tunnel under the Rimutakas, hardly anyone remembers what it was like to have to go over the incline by rail now and only the optimists believed that the tunnel would happen in our lifetime too.

Ride it while you have got it, it might be gone sooner than you think! John.

[Drew]

That's why I referred to the Wainuiomata hill road, the same talk went on for years, then suddenly it was done!

Today you may not be able to appreciate what a steep narrow windy dusty little access road it was to Wainuiomata in the early days! (great on a bike)

Nobody but the most optimistic extroverts ever believed it would change in our lifetimes, now hardly anyone can remember what it was like.

The same thing goes for the rail tunnel under the Rimutakas, hardly anyone remembers what it was like to have to go over the incline by rail now and only the optimists believed that the tunnel would happen in our lifetime too.

Ride it while you have got it, it might be gone sooner than you think! John.

There is talk of an upgrade to the hill, now that the Kaitoke hill is completed, I'm sure it wont be long till the plans are up for approval, but I really hope it takes years for the funding to come through.

There are better roads than the hill on the other side of it though, so a shorter trip to get to them might be nice too.

[Slingshot]

The same thing goes for the rail tunnel under the Rimutakas, hardly anyone remembers what it was like to have to go over the incline by rail now and only the optimists believed that the tunnel would happen in our lifetime too.

My Grandfather filmed the last train ride over the Rimutaka incline, it's now an historic film in the national archives.


I've heard that they're going to start working to straighten out Muldoon's Corner fairly soon...a quick search revealed this and in another document found this paragraph:

The only planned improvement on the Rimutaka Hill Road over the next ten years is at Muldoons corner and although there have been improvements in recent years, particularly the Kaitoke section, the route remains at high risk from natural hazards and seismic events.

I don't tend to buy stuff at the cafe up the top of the takas....I normally sit on the fence, catch up with riders that arrive...meet new riders and generally trash talk. I have on occasion used the facilaties...but wouldn't really miss them if they weren't there.

[Baldyheed]

Think a Buttie wagon would be best at the top. As for the toilet problem, will have a chat with my mate in the stores at Wellington Hospital, and see if there is a surplus of Colostomy bags (unused).