Dunedin Steam Festival

The Dunedin Steam Festival celebrates the centenary of the building of the TSS Earnslaw, NZ’s largest steamship, in Dunedin. It is complimentary to the celebration in Queenstown of the centenary of the launch of the Earnslaw on Lake Wakatipu.

The Dunedin Steam Festival is being organised by Southern Heritage Trust, in association with ExcellentEvents NZ Ltd. It will highlight the importance of steam in powering the engineering and commercial enterprises which made the city the most important in New Zealand.

The programme will offer an exciting range of steam-related activities for the enjoyment of the whole community.

Steam train rides:
The steam locomotive Ka 942 and train from the North Island will visit bringing a contingent of international passengers on a tour of New Zealand. Owned by the Main Line Steam Heritage Trust, the loco will arrive in Dunedin on October 17th. From October 18 to 20, the loco will combine with the Taieri Gorge Railway to take Dunedin passengers on short round trips to Sawyers Bay, before heading to Invercargill and back on October 21.

Other activities:
Ocean Beach Railway will celebrate 50 years. Special exhibitions and activities will be running the whole weekend, for example Steampunk at the Gasworks, TSS Earnslaw exhibition at the Hocken Library, a Grand Gageteers Steampunk Ball, a Steam Punk Extravaganza Fashion show, Freaky Steam family activities at the Otago Museum, guided tours, a vintage cars' display and rides, and a picnic day at Quarantine Island.

The Dunedin Gasworks Museum will be open and running on Saturday through to Monday.

Otago Model Engineers will be running their model and outdoor railway and the Tairei Historical Park will be open with displays running.