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The Bluff Branch, officially the Bluff Line since 2011, [1] is a railway line in Southland, New Zealand that links Invercargill with the port of Bluff. One of the first railways in New Zealand, it opened on 5 February 1867 and is still operating. [2] Presently, it essentially functions as an elongated industrial siding. [3]
The ferry journey across Foveaux Strait between Bluff Harbour on the South Island and Oban in Stewart Island is about 39 km (21 nmi) long. [38] The present high speed catamaran service typically takes one hour. [39] [40] As of 2024, the ferry service is operated by the tourism company RealNZ (formerly Real Journeys). [41]
At the Invercargill end, construction was swift. The first 17 km to Woodlands opened on 11 February 1874, but the whole section to Gore was not completed until 30 August 1875 as a hill cutting at Edendale caved in several times. In December 1875 the lines to Winton and Bluff were narrowed from the standard gauge in two days. [2]
Bluff Harbour is the northern terminus of the Stewart Island ferry, providing a daily service to and from Oban. The ferry journey across Foveaux Strait is about 39 km (21 nmi) long. [3] The first scheduled service across Foveaux Strait began in 1877 for weekly mail delivery, but soon also carried passengers and general cargo. [4]
Later that year, two more lines opened, one to North Invercargill and one to South Invercargill; the latter was the southernmost electrified street tram line in the world and ran to Tramway Road. [8] In practice, the network operated as two routes: Route A between Georgetown and Waikiwi and Route B between North and South Invercargill. [9]
Bluff covers 10.14 km 2 (3.92 sq mi) [2] and had an estimated population of 1,840 as of June 2024, [3] with a population density of 181 people per km 2. Bluff had a population of 1,797 at the 2018 New Zealand census, a decrease of 6 people (−0.3%) since the 2013 census, and unchanged since the 2006 census. There were 780 households ...
It has aircraft connections with Invercargill and a ferry service to Bluff, both on the mainland South Island. The settlement was named after Oban in Scotland [3] (An t-Òban in Scottish Gaelic, meaning The Little Bay), due to the strong influence Scottish settlers had in the south of early colonial New Zealand.
Invercargill – Makarewa – Fairlight – Kingston: Closed completely 1982 except: Kingston – Fairlight (Otago) operated by Kingston Flyer Ltd, Invercargill – Makarewa part of Wairio Branch Mokomoko Harbour Branch: Awarua – Mokomoko Harbour: Closed 1875, Standard gauge 1435mm from 1866, connected to Bluff Branch: Mossburn Branch ...