Peters Coach Services

Alf Peters ran his Cobb & Co type coaches between the railhead near Hunterville, the tourist resort at Tokaanu and the river steamer wharf at Pipiriki.

In 1893, when the Hunterville-Tokaanu road was built, connecting the Rangitikei district with roads to Taupo, Napier and the Waikato, the firm of "A. Peters and Sons" (now run by the sons, Alfred and Samuel,) was based down in Moawhango, with coaches to Napier, Manganoho, Pipiriki and Tokaanu, as well as guided horse treks to the south side of Tongariro National Park.

Then in 1894 Alfred Peters won a contract to carry mail between the railhead at Manganoho, near Hunterville, the tourist resort at Tokaanu Hot Springs and the river steamer wharf at Pipiriki. He built a stables at the start of the start of the Desert Road,where Tweedale's accomodation flats are now, and later he relocated an accommodation house from Karioi to a site north of the stables.



He also had a post and telegraph office near where Waiouru's police station is now, and a store somewhere near the present panelbeating shop.

Peters coaches crossing the Mangatoetoe Stream on the Desert Road

The Peters family were experienced coach operators. In 1864 Andrew Peters, (who died at Napier in 1895) was running coaches between the Clutha and Invercargill. By 1876 Peters coaches ran from Napier to Taupo, and by the 1880s to Gisborne and Woodvile also. In 1891 Peters coaches began conveying tourists from Hatrick's steamboats at Pipiriki to the hot springs at Tokaanu.

A view of Peters Private Hotel looking west from the Desert Road

For the next 14 years, Peters coach business was boosted by the hundreds of labourers building the roadbed, the viaducts, bridges and cuttings of the North Island Main Trunk railway. By 1905 the railhead had reached Turangarere (Mulvey's Corner) and there were 500 men working on the Waiouru section of the line.

Photo obtained from the Peters family

But when the NIMT finally opened in 1908, the railway workers departed, and tourists to the Tokaanu Hot Springs now travelled on a new coach road from National Park railway station.

Heavyweight bullock wagons began hauling huge totara logs along the coach roads. When the first motorcar drove through Waiouru in 1912, the driver complained about these bullock teams destroying the once excellent coach roads. The Waiouru-Tokaanu road fell into disuse and Waiouru's days as a base for tourist coaches were at an end.

Source. The National Library's Papers Past website.

Time travelling activities.

1. Borrow a metal detector and try to find the pile of old horse-shoes from the blacksmith's shop near Peters' old stables. Ask Mr Tweedale for permission to go on his land.

2. Plan a family "stagecoach trip" to "Blake's Hotel" at Tokaanu. Near Oturere Stream midway on the trip, try to find the concrete pad that was the site of the tearooms where the coaches made their mid-day stop.

3. Talk to older members of the Peters, Vine and Tweedale families.