It’s been four years since I published the maps for this section (Volume 8 in the old volume numbering scheme) and having road tripped the entire length of the route in June this year it’s time for both updates to the core maps and a more user friendly format for use in the field, especially when offline. This is something I flagged a few months ago and have dabbled with a little, but I have now decided to start working on it over the coming year. Part of the mothballed section from Napier to Wairoa is currently being reopened by Kiwirail.

The original schedule from earlier this year was to publish the current diagrams in the new format. However I now plan to update the diagrams with current aerial photography over the next month or two. The slower part is yard diagrams off historic aerial photography that will maybe be one post a week at most over the coming year because of other priorities. Map work will start with Napier, which is approximately halfway along the route, and go in both directions. I have already published some aerial photos and map work for Gisborne City recently. From Gisborne I will eventually take in the branches but they are a lower priority for map completion at this stage. 

An aerial photo of Napier in 1973.