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Hokitika road-rail bridge.1981.
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DescriptionA couple of quite nice shots of the old Hokitika Road/Rail Bridge taken in 1981 by the late W.W. (Bill) Dudding. The Ross Branch closed in Nov 1980 so I imagine the replacement Road bridge was built quite soon after.PhotographerW W DuddingDate of Photo1981Map[1] Contributor Gordon William Bartram
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Location (city or town)HokitikaLandmark (Place)Hoktika road-rail bridge
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Category TagBridge
From Facebook
CommentsHelen Tucker Remember walking over this bridge on a Sunday many yrs ago
Tracy Piner Mahon Omg remember that bridge. My sister fell off her bike on that.
Brent Tunnage I was working in Hokitika 1988, new bridge around then
Matt Fairmaid New bridge opened in September 1990
Robbie Muir-bromley I remember walking biking over the bridge
Helen Brennan Bill dudding was the Engineer my Boss in those days nice fellow great working in NzRailways Engineers Office
Dave McMillan A lot of sums were damaged on those tracks
Dave McMillan Sumps
Anita Brussovs I rode my bike many a time over this bridge in hokitika. Always loved it when the train was coming from the opposite way we had to hurry to the little bay on the bridge
Bernadette Hannah Will always remember the rattle of that bridge .
June Williams
There was no mistaking a car crossing the bridge. The clackety clack could be heard quite clearly in most parts of town when it was quiet.
Arlene Hutcheon
I remember hearing cars going over that bridge from my grandparents house in Revell St. I was only young then.
=
Robin Cudmore
Lol the good old days, remember doing 100 hph in my Cresta over it,
Robert Skilton
Robin Cudmore Only a 100 kms an hour! Bit slow. Govt vehicles could do more than that!!
Robin Cudmore
Robert Skilton mph lol
Robert Skilton
Yeah na on a hundy mph!
Stephen Lucas
Crossed this bridge many time to go to lake Mahanipua
Joy Meyer
We lived further up in Gibson Quay. Knew when someone was going over the bridge cos it clackety clacked. Quite loud at night time.
Helen Joan Forrest
Crossed that bridge many times going to Hari-Hari
Wayne Lockton
i think there was a pub on the left of the bridge going south
Kev Rasmussen
New bridge was opened in 1991
Jon Becker
I remember standing in my grandparents front yard(Stan and Bertha York) watching the trains and cars crossing it
Chris Bennett
Mum,(gwen cust), totaled her lil mini on that bridge
Tania Newman
Used to climb down to the islands & swim in the river. Cool bridge but past its use-by date when it was closed
Leslie Whitiskie
Hated driving over it
Lois Little
Gosh the island our favourite playground growing up plus the tip an just the hoki river an bridge
John Paget
The origina Rickity Rakity bridge.
Bronwyn Hibbs
I remember going to see the river raft race when I was a kid (in the 70's sometime) and standing on the bridge as the rafts went under - fun times and a great community event...
Sandra Loveday
Bronwyn Hibbs I remember staying at nana n grandads on Kaniere road and hearing the vehicles crossing that bridge
John Fowler
Had to watch the speed or you would bottom out the sump on the rails
Pam Mcmanus
I lived in upper Hampden street growing up and could hear it clearly at night.
Michelle Olson-Chamberlain
I lived in Beach Street and can remember the the rickety sound of the bridge when cars drove over it.i loved to walk over it , bike over it and hated driving over it.but glad that I I did it now
Robin Harwood
Passed Velox driving a mark3 Zephyr in the middle of that bridge early one morning in 1973
Gary Robert Little
Fantastic place to grow up
Phil Millar
Gary Robert Little Is your dad Bill by any chance?
Gary Robert Little
We used to have so much fun playing around the bridges and the old wharf, we lived in hall street ,so the river is across the rail tracks,two minutes we were there
Neet Liwile
Magical as a kid
Kathryn Ward
Loved that bridge. So exciting climbing down to the island.
Aaron Schouten
Loved this bridge jumping off it, sad to see it go
Liz Hay
You could hear the clackety clack when a car crossed it inland at Kaniere at night if conditions were right.
Christina Veale
Awe went over that bridge when little thought it would be funny to make a locomotive horn. Dad gave gave me a hiding on the otherside of the bridge. I still now laugh about it. I was only nine but a little shit.
Tony Simpson
Christina Veale Love it!
Chris Ogunmayin
Remember that bridge really well
Jenny Leach
Yes so do I remember it well I used to live in ruatapu from 1973 until 1980
Bryan Eckhoff
Traveled across it in Railcar 66/67/68 going to westland high from Ross then on Friday nights to the movies on the odd occasion
Elizabeth Mehrtens
Hi Michelle Olson I remember you being born and your lovely mother carrying you through such good times, your Mum taught me to drive a car fun days htey were
Gill Smeltzer
I used to climb down off that bridge to a sandbar and go white baiting with my uncle and grandfather!! Many years ago!!
Murray Bone
we lived in Hampden St , when we could hear cars going over the bridge it was going to be fine weather and when you couldn,t hear it, it was going to rain.
Mike Henderson
“Soon after” was early 90s
Donna Bradley
Mike Henderson yeah
Valda May Pattinson
OMG Pokey and I were passengers in the back seat of Socks ( only knew him as socks)Cowan,s car one night and he was dong 80 mph across this bridge.I was sooooo scared, we would crash.
Chris Howard
Our family home was on the east side of the south end of the bridge, we used to dive off it into the river. Also get a ride on the train when going into town. The rattling noise of the planks when cars went across was just something you grew it overcome. (The great years gone , but the memories live on).
Sheila Coghlan
l lived in Woodstock a long time ago went over the bridge lots of times to visit greymouth
Gail Bradley
Because it rattled when driving on it, it was sometimes known as the largest xylophone in the world
Jeanne Godfrey
I used to bike over that bridge after buying Percy Hurrens pies for lunch for Mum and I. She was whitebaiting and I had lunchtime at school! Loved that bridge.Sandra Douglas
Passing another veh on it was very CLOSE &once was not nice meet the train on it on the jigger with Dad&Uncle Earl
Alison Armstrong
Fond memories..
Alison Armstrong
The Rattle, usually in the Dead of the Night.. Never forgotten..
Kay Nichols
Dad used to be really annoyed when tourists towing caravans would drive straight on, not realising it was one way. Everyone else would have to back off! We used to climb down to the Island to go whitebaiting. When there were cows on the island.
Dave Curtain
Not many guests stayed a second night at the Lion except our old mate Arthur Nicole
Peter Campion
Spent many trips on the push bike going whitebaiting on the mad mile some hair raising trips I say great memories
Tracy Piner Mahon Omg remember that bridge. My sister fell off her bike on that.
Brent Tunnage I was working in Hokitika 1988, new bridge around then
Matt Fairmaid New bridge opened in September 1990
Robbie Muir-bromley I remember walking biking over the bridge
Helen Brennan Bill dudding was the Engineer my Boss in those days nice fellow great working in NzRailways Engineers Office
Dave McMillan A lot of sums were damaged on those tracks
Dave McMillan Sumps
Anita Brussovs I rode my bike many a time over this bridge in hokitika. Always loved it when the train was coming from the opposite way we had to hurry to the little bay on the bridge
Bernadette Hannah Will always remember the rattle of that bridge .
June Williams
There was no mistaking a car crossing the bridge. The clackety clack could be heard quite clearly in most parts of town when it was quiet.
Arlene Hutcheon
I remember hearing cars going over that bridge from my grandparents house in Revell St. I was only young then.
=
Robin Cudmore
Lol the good old days, remember doing 100 hph in my Cresta over it,
Robert Skilton
Robin Cudmore Only a 100 kms an hour! Bit slow. Govt vehicles could do more than that!!
Robin Cudmore
Robert Skilton mph lol
Robert Skilton
Yeah na on a hundy mph!
Stephen Lucas
Crossed this bridge many time to go to lake Mahanipua
Joy Meyer
We lived further up in Gibson Quay. Knew when someone was going over the bridge cos it clackety clacked. Quite loud at night time.
Helen Joan Forrest
Crossed that bridge many times going to Hari-Hari
Wayne Lockton
i think there was a pub on the left of the bridge going south
Kev Rasmussen
New bridge was opened in 1991
Jon Becker
I remember standing in my grandparents front yard(Stan and Bertha York) watching the trains and cars crossing it
Chris Bennett
Mum,(gwen cust), totaled her lil mini on that bridge
Tania Newman
Used to climb down to the islands & swim in the river. Cool bridge but past its use-by date when it was closed
Leslie Whitiskie
Hated driving over it
Lois Little
Gosh the island our favourite playground growing up plus the tip an just the hoki river an bridge
John Paget
The origina Rickity Rakity bridge.
Bronwyn Hibbs
I remember going to see the river raft race when I was a kid (in the 70's sometime) and standing on the bridge as the rafts went under - fun times and a great community event...
Sandra Loveday
Bronwyn Hibbs I remember staying at nana n grandads on Kaniere road and hearing the vehicles crossing that bridge
John Fowler
Had to watch the speed or you would bottom out the sump on the rails
Pam Mcmanus
I lived in upper Hampden street growing up and could hear it clearly at night.
Michelle Olson-Chamberlain
I lived in Beach Street and can remember the the rickety sound of the bridge when cars drove over it.i loved to walk over it , bike over it and hated driving over it.but glad that I I did it now
Robin Harwood
Passed Velox driving a mark3 Zephyr in the middle of that bridge early one morning in 1973
Gary Robert Little
Fantastic place to grow up
Phil Millar
Gary Robert Little Is your dad Bill by any chance?
Gary Robert Little
We used to have so much fun playing around the bridges and the old wharf, we lived in hall street ,so the river is across the rail tracks,two minutes we were there
Neet Liwile
Magical as a kid
Kathryn Ward
Loved that bridge. So exciting climbing down to the island.
Aaron Schouten
Loved this bridge jumping off it, sad to see it go
Liz Hay
You could hear the clackety clack when a car crossed it inland at Kaniere at night if conditions were right.
Christina Veale
Awe went over that bridge when little thought it would be funny to make a locomotive horn. Dad gave gave me a hiding on the otherside of the bridge. I still now laugh about it. I was only nine but a little shit.
Tony Simpson
Christina Veale Love it!
Chris Ogunmayin
Remember that bridge really well
Jenny Leach
Yes so do I remember it well I used to live in ruatapu from 1973 until 1980
Bryan Eckhoff
Traveled across it in Railcar 66/67/68 going to westland high from Ross then on Friday nights to the movies on the odd occasion
Elizabeth Mehrtens
Hi Michelle Olson I remember you being born and your lovely mother carrying you through such good times, your Mum taught me to drive a car fun days htey were
Gill Smeltzer
I used to climb down off that bridge to a sandbar and go white baiting with my uncle and grandfather!! Many years ago!!
Murray Bone
we lived in Hampden St , when we could hear cars going over the bridge it was going to be fine weather and when you couldn,t hear it, it was going to rain.
Mike Henderson
“Soon after” was early 90s
Donna Bradley
Mike Henderson yeah
Valda May Pattinson
OMG Pokey and I were passengers in the back seat of Socks ( only knew him as socks)Cowan,s car one night and he was dong 80 mph across this bridge.I was sooooo scared, we would crash.
Chris Howard
Our family home was on the east side of the south end of the bridge, we used to dive off it into the river. Also get a ride on the train when going into town. The rattling noise of the planks when cars went across was just something you grew it overcome. (The great years gone , but the memories live on).
Sheila Coghlan
l lived in Woodstock a long time ago went over the bridge lots of times to visit greymouth
Gail Bradley
Because it rattled when driving on it, it was sometimes known as the largest xylophone in the world
Jeanne Godfrey
I used to bike over that bridge after buying Percy Hurrens pies for lunch for Mum and I. She was whitebaiting and I had lunchtime at school! Loved that bridge.Sandra Douglas
Passing another veh on it was very CLOSE &once was not nice meet the train on it on the jigger with Dad&Uncle Earl
Alison Armstrong
Fond memories..
Alison Armstrong
The Rattle, usually in the Dead of the Night.. Never forgotten..
Kay Nichols
Dad used to be really annoyed when tourists towing caravans would drive straight on, not realising it was one way. Everyone else would have to back off! We used to climb down to the Island to go whitebaiting. When there were cows on the island.
Dave Curtain
Not many guests stayed a second night at the Lion except our old mate Arthur Nicole
Peter Campion
Spent many trips on the push bike going whitebaiting on the mad mile some hair raising trips I say great memories
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West Coast New Zealand History (23rd May 2022). Hokitika road-rail bridge.1981.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 3rd May 2026 03:35, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/14645