In July 2002 the NPWS conducted a hazard reduction burn on the property. They used the railway as a control line. The job was well done - we did not lose a single sleeper. The fuel load on the hill has obviously been reduced. Unfortunately the lantana in the gully was too damp to burn. Although the lantana make the ride more interesting it is causing interesting indirect damage to the trees. The lantana shelters the bell birds. The bell birds drive away most other birds. Nothing eats the lerps. The lerps eat the foliage. Without leaves the eucalypts slowly die. So we can enjoy the bell birds while pulling out lantana and extending the cutting.

Last year we improved the central part of the line by replacing the worst rusted tube rail and adding more sleepers. We also altered the alignment a little to make the line almost straight in this section. This was possible due to the availability of spoil from the cutting at the top of the line.

Once the line was reconnected we rebuilt the high bridge as a through truss bridge using wood given by Bensim (thanks).

This year we are rebuilding the bottom yard area, again using filling from the top cutting. We are straightening the route, adding sleepers where the rail is getting thin and trying a slew switch near the bottom to a new loading ramp across the garden.

	Tippawan waiting to descend.
Hiromi going up.
	Bottom station
Hiromi and Benjemin.

See you next time this web site is updated. Next week? or next year?