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Named after the Fifth Earl of Ranfurly, New Zealand’s 15th Governor General, Ranfurly owes its existence to the government of the day deciding the Otago Central Railway must cut a direct route across the Maniototo Plains rather than dogleg to Naseby, then the Maniototo’s biggest town.

Ranfurly has become the centre of rural art deco in this country. The style arrived here in the early 1930s after a series of suspicious fires destroyed a number of buildings, including the town hall and a hotel. The architect who led the rebuilding was greatly influenced by the popular art deco style of the era.

For train passengers Ranfurly was an oasis. As the line’s main change-over station, there was just enough time to jump off, head to the Centennial Milk Bar – now an art deco gallery – and gulp down a ‘cuppa and cake’. The milk bar is one of many art deco buildings on the route of the 50 minute Ranfurly Art Deco Walk (leaflet available from the Maniototo Visitor Information in the old station building).

Ranfurly is a good step off point to visit Naseby(25km).

For more about this remarkable region of New Zealand click www.maniototo.co.nz

Ranfurly – Waipiata

• 8.5km separates Ranfurly from Waipiata
• Ranfurly Straight Gangers’ Shed -- one of 12 gangers’ sheds along the Rail Trail housing information panels. These sheds are identified with an ‘i’ on the map in the Official Rail Trail Passport.
  

Ranfurly - Wedderburn

• 14km separates Ranfurly from Wedderburn
• Maniototo Plains Gangers’ Shelter Shed -- one of 12 gangers’ sheds along the Rail Trail housing information panels. These sheds are identified with an ‘i’ on the map in the Official Rail Trail Passport.
• Rail Trail passes through the big sky country of the Maniototo bordered to the north by the Hawkdun and Mt Ida Ranges, to the east by the Kakanui’s, to the south by the Rock and Pillar Ranges and to the west by South Rough Ridge and North Rough Ridge.
  

Ranfurly’s Centennial Milk Bar exemplifies art deco design	Churches are a feature of many towns and townships along the Otago Central Rail Trail. Some like the art deco influenced Church of the Sacred Heart in Ranfurly are surprisingly large.
Destined for demolition, the Ranfurly Station building now stands looking more grand than it ever was. The verandah and clock tower were added as part of the community-funded restoration. Inside the building is the Maniototo Information Centre and poignant display commemorating the 1943 Hyde train tragedy.

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