about the conference
- Friday 3th May to Monday 2 June 2024
- Canterbury Railway Society
A 50th anniversary to remember
The 2025 conference was the largest by far, with more than 120 attendees at the annual awards dinner, held at the Rydges Hotel in Christchurch.
During the weekend, delegates visited Little River, Ashburton, McLeans Island, Ferrymead, and Weka Pass. Workshop tours went hand-in-hand with rides on trains, trams, jiggers, and narrow-gauge railways. We want to say a big thank you to the groups that hosted us, and who went out of their way to make this a memorable weekend and a very fitting 50th celebration.
We must also thank the sponsors who have generously funded prizes for the evening: NZTA Waka Kotahi; Rail Heritage Trust; Dunedin Railways; KiwiRail; MOTAT Society; Glenbrook Vintage Railway; and Pounamu Tourism Group. Without your support, we would not be able to make this happen!
Official Conference Programme Includes:
Friday 31st May:
– Registration and mix and mingle at the Distinction Hotel in Palmerston North from 17:00 to 19:00.
Saturday 1st June:
– Full day in conference sessions at the Distinction Hotel.
Sunday 2nd June:
– Morning conference sessions at the Distinction Hotel, including the FRONZ AGM. After lunch we will board buses with Railcar Passengers heading to Palmerston North Railway Station and the remaining passengers via bus to Pahiatua Railcar Society Depot. Passengers swap for the return journey. Arriving back to the hotel at 17:00.
– From 18:00 the Annual FRONZ Awards Dinner will be held at the Distinction Hotel.
Monday 3rd June:
– This morning we will visit our hosts, the Feilding and District Steam Rail Society. A coach will travel from the Distinction Hotel in Palmerston North to Feilding, then travelling to Whanganui to visit SteamRail Whanganui for lunch and Whanganui Tramways after. Finally returning participants to the Palmerston North airport at 14:30 to catch available flights and proceeding back to the Distinction Hotel at 14:45.
Getting to Conference:
How do I get to Palmerston North?
Members can fly to Palmerston North Airport and arrange a taxi to the venue.
On Friday, May 31 a bus leaves Wellington Airport about 10am, and visits groups up the Kapiti Coast.
Contact secretary@fronz.org.nz if you fly in after 10am on Friday and want to take the Capital Connection to Palmerston North.
How do I get home from conference?
There is no return bus ride to Wellington.
Instead, following the field trip to Whanganui, the bus will drop delegates off at Palmerston North airport at 2.30pm on Monday.
For those wanting to catch the Capital Connection, this service leaves Palmerston North Railway Station at 6.15am on Tuesday.
Mainline spectacular to celebrate 50 years of FRONZ
Over Matariki weekend, from 20-22 June, the largest mainline celebration in a decade took place in Palmerston North.
Planning was led by Steam Incorporated and Glenbrook Vintage Railway, and involved a weekend packed with excursions, shuttles, displays, cab rides and sights that are rarely seen on the mainline.
The event launched at Palmerston North Railway Station on Friday morning, with a grand cavalcade watched by hundreds, before the first of many trips – shuttles to Feilding. One of the highest-profile events was the Main Trunk Steam Spectacular, which was followed by a massive number of photographers and members of the public, with dozens of vehicles parked up at prime spots to witness the sight of a double-header hauled by JA1271 and AB608.
The sheer number of passengers and onlookers proves Kiwis have an insatiable appetite for heritage. The hundreds (if not thousands) of hours involved in the planning paid off and we want to thank those who led the charge to make this event happen.
Hopefully it has helped a whole new generation fall in love with what we do. Special thanks must also be made to KiwiRail, NZTA, and TrackSafe for their work in supporting the weekend.
Words can’t do the event justice, but these photos – starting with Marty Melville’s cracking shot of the doubleheader on the Mangaweka Viaduct – come pretty close.
