Haast Road construction. D9 Contract Cultivation.1960 - Johnnie Bailey on left.

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DescriptionPeter Kerr
Clarke Bluff, the last contract before the road was opened to Haast from the Otago side. Pleasant Flat bridge was already finished. Contract Cultivation's D9 was one of the earliest in NZ. At 300hp it was big for he day. It spent most of the time clearing rock brought down the previous night by Jack Climo who night after night drilled three 30ft uppers from road level and dropped the whole high face. Climo's wagon drill ran off a compressor working off the power take off of Contract Cultivation's first D8, old T1. with 40, 000 hours on the clock at the end of the job when it was sold to the chap who had the contract for clearing the bush off the first of the road line on the north side of the Haast River.

Shared with permission from Haast Road Opening 50th Anniversary.Date of Photo1960Map^[1]ContributorMaye Dunn

Shown in this image

Location (city or town)Haast PassPersonJohnnie BaileyOrganisation (eg business)Contract Cultivation.EventBuilding Haast Pass road

Category Information

Category TagRoads

From Facebook

Date Created6th December 2017CommentsAlena Ollerenshaw
Thank you for sharing I took over from Jonnie at Hastings in 1969, he was a great mentor.

Alena Ollerenshaw
Correction it was at Haast when I Vic Ollerenshaw took over the bridging from Johnnie

Dave Brooks

My uncle Athol McGeady and his brother had one of the carting contracts while the Haast road was being built.When it finished the family moved to coal creek (Greymouth) to start a dairy farm. Dave Brooks
Bruce Whitfield
This project was simply amazing...i took my Ford Zephyr 4 through just after it was opened at Knights Point.
Stuart McMillan
It’s still a big machine

Vic Ollerenshaw
I replaced Johnnie Bailey when retired, he had a concrete pile making crew, a pile driving crew and two bridge construction camps. One a Macpherson Creek up towards the Haast Pass and one at Arawhata building the Arawhata Bridges in the late 60’s.

Wayne Rogers
Vic Ollerenshaw Hard to beleave but the Arawhata Bridge has had Water running over the Deck, Was doing possums, had not Rained,,3 months, River Rose 18 feet over night

Bill Sullivan
My googet some bloody road cones

Bevan Mcconnochie
Bill Sullivan I had a laugh about the highvis , earmuffs and flashing lights, over rated.

John Kerr
Bill Sullivan None available, they are all being used in ChCh or Conechurch as it is now known.

Wayne Rogers
Had a mate Hamish Fraser work on that Clarke Bluff, ,Think of him every time I Drive past,told me the Gang did blast were Good, R,I,P Mate

Robert Davidson
Great photo. Good to hear about the construction of the Haast pass. Very important to Haast and the west coasters.

Ben Souness
Back when people just got on with the job not a road cone in sight

Richard Cudmore
Roaring swine creek
Many shooting trips up that creek with my dad in late 60s

Jock Fisher
Worked with Johnnie Bailey when he was erecting the Roaring Swine bridge.
Good boss and expected you to do your job.
Watched Clarkes bluff Blow while sitting in Athol Mgeede,s truck, beautiful job the whole bluff lifted off in one huge piece into the river, and left a road.

Kathryn Ward
Must have been a tricky Roda to construct. In Hokitika people were concerned About unknown people coming throughas folk would have to start looking house and car Doors!

Olwen Harrison
My best friend is Johnnies daughter!

Patrick Carmody
2 Blokes building a Nation.

Vic Ollerenshaw
I replaced Johnnie Bailey when retired, he had a concrete pile making crew, a pile driving crew and two bridge construction camps. One a Macpherson Creek up towards the Haast Pass and one at Arawhata building the Arawhata Bridges in the late 60’s.

Wayne Rogers
Vic Ollerenshaw Hard to beleave but the Arawhata Bridge has had Water running over the Deck, Was doing possums, had not Rained,,3 months, River Rose 18 feet over night

Jock Fisher
Vic Ollerenshaw any relation to Jim the old Deer Culler and cameraman, ?

Vic Ollerenshaw
Jock Fisher yes. He was an uncle my father’s older brother, John Ollerenshaw did some deer culling he was another of Dad’s brothers.

Jock Fisher
Thanks for that, I spent some time with Jim when he was in charge at Blue Glen Golden Downs, he did a lot of filmwork in the Mountains and valleys over the years.
Used to have a shooter named Bernie Arnott carrying all his film gear around for him as he got older.
His films must still be around somewhere.

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Haast Road construction. D9 Contract Cultivation.1960 - Johnnie Bailey on left.

Editing is temporarily disabled