[4] Rails[5] and wagons from the Auckland & Drury railway[6] were used for the 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge, horse-drawn tramway from the mine to the Derrick wharf on the Kawakawa River at Taumarere.

The tramway opened on 26 December 1867[7] and was completed on 16 January 1868,[8] after which the mine was transferred to the newly formed Bay of Islands Coal Company.

[9] Horses and the wooden tramway line were replaced on January 28, 1871, by the first steam engine to run in the North Island.

In 1874 Bay of Islands Coal Company agreed with Auckland Province that the government would take over the tramway[10] and build the extension.

[12] Work on the Kawakawa River viaduct and first mile of the extension to Opua was completed in April 1881,[13] a contract was let on 10 December 1880 for the remaining 4 mi 11 ch (6.7 km)[14] and a start was made in June 1881,[15][16] but it wasn't until October 1883 that authority was sought for a solid platform at the station, which was rebuilt[17][18] before 7 April 1884, when the extension opened.

[20] The company declined an offer to run the line,[17] as it did not wish to raise more capital,[21] so the track was operated by New Zealand Railways Department.