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Crossing the Arahura Bridge.
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DescriptionJudy Cardno.."I used to love crossing this bridge..I always prayed a train would come along.. lol."Map[1] ContributorJudy Cardno
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Location (city or town)ArahuraLandmark (Place)Arahura Bridge
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Category TagBridge
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Date Created15th June 2019CommentsGraham Ngatuere Yes amazing history...now just a rail bridge...
Donald Nicholas A train did come along in the original Goodbye Pork Pie with halarious results.
Don Pearson Yes,was road and rail,before new road bridge was built,crossed it afew times.
Janet Birch I Always prayed a train would NOT come along! I can still hear the screeching of engine brakes in my mind when a train and car collided with tragic results. The sound has stayed with me all my life!!!
Christine Stewart Slid across that bridge one night after coming off in the rain .... we were fine but bit embarrassed and bruised.
Alison Armstrong My Mum managed to get the car sideways on this bridge.. something to do with wet tracks.
Heather Newby Once Mum was driving over the Taramakau bridge and a train came on... but it backed off for her
Carrol Hunter Our new bridge is luxury
Andrea Lowe I hated these bridges. I always looked out the back window to make sure there wasn't a train coming up behind us.
Kaye Millar I took an English friend down the 'Coast a few years ago ..he was driving across the bridge ...and the said "Why are there train tracks on here" ...I explained he has to share with a train ....man he got a fright ...he was expecting the 10.30 am from Paddington to come belting through and couldn't get off fast enough....
Heather Newby ha ha ha
Don Hutton If it had been coming they would have to beat the gatekeeper on his bike!!
Anne Honey Family story my uncle was coming home from playing at a dance an d came face to face with a train Austin 30 v train. He backed off the bridge flat tack.
Shona Ratana Miners Picnic train used to go across this bridge travelling to,from Lake Mahanapua. Such an exciting trip standing between the carriages, letting the wind blow our hair and maybe cinders in our eyes. Oh such freedom?
Helen Green We were the lucky ones!
Elizabeth Mehrtens Judy not so funny when the train had to give way to me at the other end as I thought the light was the sun on the top of hill but no it was the train, I was expecting a call from the police man all day.
Vicki Petrovics Lisa Delhanty was always a bit dicey lol
Bob Laing I used to think there was not room on either side of the car
Bob Laing Driving, you had to be careful not to keep the car tyres away from the railway lines
Raewyn Louttit Bob Laing they would wobble
Bob Laing Raewyn Louttit
My concern was that I might head off up the railway line
Raewyn Louttit Bob Laing one day my brother bought a car from Greymouth. We were driving home and the gear lever came out in his hand we nearly when in it the river
Exciting times
Helen Joan Forrest They were great bridges. Between Reefton and Inangahua Juction there were some great ones as well. A challenge to race the train. Fun days.
Dave Hamilton The New South Wales Government has just opened a whole street done like this, in Newcastle.
Chris Rabey I improved my driving skills driving over the old bridge after more than a few at the Greyhound
Bob Laing Chris Rabey
The important thing is that you saw the bridge
Chris Rabey Bob Laing Haha yep that would be right, Bob. Tell me, anyone, now the Taramakau bridge is replaced with a new one, are there any road/rail driveable bridges left in NZ?
Mowena Mason Mean kick ass memz of our bridge!! Missed dearly!! ❤️
Tanya Weepu Oh man so many mischief things we would gt upto on the bridge take two dolphin touches make out we were a car thats gone off the bridge n hold on too the sides or under bridge one time a 4x4 had spot lights on the top of his ute an turned them on snapped big time we just all let go an swam down to mouth of our river n done a huge bonfire also used to do bombs n staples n gorillas n coffins n backflips n get on the piss hide from our taua n poua parents other cuzziez so much fun an suxs mi own kids an te whanau tamariki can't enjoy missed hard
Alison Syder Awesome memories
John Moore Thanks for posting that memory.
Tania Pennicott Travelled this a few times.learner driver used to freak me out.
Kathryn Jean Bartlett
I always prayed a train wouldn’t come along - I think I held my breath the entire way
Pam Mcmanus
Did not like this bridge at all.
Alva Mundy
This brings back memory’s driving over this bridge
Scoti Raymond Thorpe
Use to swim & jump off the bridge as kids
Carrol Barnes - Baker
I remember those days coming home from Greymouth after a night out in Dads car lol
Joy Meyer
We could always tell when visitors came across the road rail bridges cos they would drive with both the rails under the car and not just one.
Annette Haile
Joy Meyer Or drive up on the side rail lol
Joy Meyer
Annette Haile yes I've seen that too.
Wayne Lockton
old pub on the left at the other end
Peter Moore
Wayne Lockton Greyhound
Wayne Lockton
Peter Moore yes not good
Peter Moore
Wayne Lockton good to get stuck in.
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Great bridge! Great timbers
Karen Whiti
I remember waiting for trains so we could drive over the bridge
Michael Barron
This was a fun bridge on a motorcycle!!!
Robert Miedema
I always hated that bridge.
Phyllis Johnston
Tthe old bridges were full of character. Now you can hardly see th river.there
David Whyte
Was tricky in the rain on a motorcycle. The boards never lined up!
Suzanne Tones Wolfe
I remember this bridge, shuuuuuuddddder, lol
Anbarbara Duckett
I crossed it once with a train riiiight behind me, on my bumper. I am sure the driver thought that was funny, Only the fact he was bigger than me, could not slow down as fast as I could stopped me form any shenanigans.
Anne Honey
No believe me the last thing you wanted to see. Backing in terror.
Donald Hibbs
It creaked and groaned a bit in the loco. When they built the new bridge we railed the beams to the site and they were unloaded by crane for the new bridge.
Pete Lusk
We came up to the bridge one time, there was a cluster of cars and people, a biker had skidded on the rails, tipped over, and was lying there injured. It was raining heavily, but the biker was being well cared for by a couple of nurses on their way to work, then a doctor came along. The biker was well and truly triaged by the time the ambulance got there.
Jill Leonard
I remember riding my bike on the bridge and meeting the railcar coming up from Ross, I biked like crazy to one of the safety areas. The driver yelled at me in passing and my parents knew about it before I got home
Lindsay Thompson
Crossing that bridge when the river was in high flood was always nerve wracking
Gavin Ladbrook
Remember when it was redecked at night. I was the one that done it 49 night's of rain.
AlanSandra Weir
Gavin Ladbrook yup, hands down the shittest job ever
Reply1d
Gavin Ladbrook
AlanSandra Weir
Laugh Emoticon Sticker by AridenaOSD
Glenda Jackson
Gosh I remember both the bridge and having a night out at the pub for our Griffen & Smith Christmas club dinner. Had a great time and lots of laughter.
Glenda Jackson
Oh think I have the wrong bridge I was thinking it was the bridge before Kūmara.
Wendy Larsen
Yes your on the taramakau
Glenda Jackson
Wendy Larsen yes that’s the one Wendy
Wendy Larsen
Glenda Jackson are you guys home yet cheers
Glenda Jackson
Yes a week or more lol
Wendy Larsen
Was real freaky on the night fifty
Janet Jim Leeks
Wendy Larsen I remember the time you and I were both on the nifty fifty on that bridge with the police right behind us.
Wendy Larsen
Nifty
Billie Jo Mayer
Loved this bridge
Nelson Bradley
I drove onto north end of Arahura bridge only to meet the train about to exit the last bay of the bridge i was able to stop in a hurry and back off the rail lines before the train pushed me away, we used to site other end of bridge, no rail waggons, no train ,
Was a short train that day.
Christine Stewart
Fun bridge in thee rain on a bike …. Went for a skid on this one years ago in my teens
Alan Beck
I think the NZ/US film "Shaker Run" had a scene on the bridge, with a stuntman going into the river. Or "Race for the Yankee Zephyr". One of those. The bridge was in the trailer for the film.
Leigh Doidge
Cool bridge, glad to be one of the last generations to drive on it.
Fiona Pollard
Have fond memories of both bridges, Arahura and Taramakau. Tourists never really got the method and I ended up nose to nose middle of bridge once. They backed off!Raewyn Stephens
mo too i loved them. I was so sad to see them go
Janet Birch
It was never good to get your bicycle tyre stuck between those rail irons and the Timbers! As locals we always knew what time the trains and railcar would be there.
Donald Nicholas A train did come along in the original Goodbye Pork Pie with halarious results.
Don Pearson Yes,was road and rail,before new road bridge was built,crossed it afew times.
Janet Birch I Always prayed a train would NOT come along! I can still hear the screeching of engine brakes in my mind when a train and car collided with tragic results. The sound has stayed with me all my life!!!
Christine Stewart Slid across that bridge one night after coming off in the rain .... we were fine but bit embarrassed and bruised.
Alison Armstrong My Mum managed to get the car sideways on this bridge.. something to do with wet tracks.
Heather Newby Once Mum was driving over the Taramakau bridge and a train came on... but it backed off for her
Carrol Hunter Our new bridge is luxury
Andrea Lowe I hated these bridges. I always looked out the back window to make sure there wasn't a train coming up behind us.
Kaye Millar I took an English friend down the 'Coast a few years ago ..he was driving across the bridge ...and the said "Why are there train tracks on here" ...I explained he has to share with a train ....man he got a fright ...he was expecting the 10.30 am from Paddington to come belting through and couldn't get off fast enough....
Heather Newby ha ha ha
Don Hutton If it had been coming they would have to beat the gatekeeper on his bike!!
Anne Honey Family story my uncle was coming home from playing at a dance an d came face to face with a train Austin 30 v train. He backed off the bridge flat tack.
Shona Ratana Miners Picnic train used to go across this bridge travelling to,from Lake Mahanapua. Such an exciting trip standing between the carriages, letting the wind blow our hair and maybe cinders in our eyes. Oh such freedom?
Helen Green We were the lucky ones!
Elizabeth Mehrtens Judy not so funny when the train had to give way to me at the other end as I thought the light was the sun on the top of hill but no it was the train, I was expecting a call from the police man all day.
Vicki Petrovics Lisa Delhanty was always a bit dicey lol
Bob Laing I used to think there was not room on either side of the car
Bob Laing Driving, you had to be careful not to keep the car tyres away from the railway lines
Raewyn Louttit Bob Laing they would wobble
Bob Laing Raewyn Louttit
My concern was that I might head off up the railway line
Raewyn Louttit Bob Laing one day my brother bought a car from Greymouth. We were driving home and the gear lever came out in his hand we nearly when in it the river
Exciting times
Helen Joan Forrest They were great bridges. Between Reefton and Inangahua Juction there were some great ones as well. A challenge to race the train. Fun days.
Dave Hamilton The New South Wales Government has just opened a whole street done like this, in Newcastle.
Chris Rabey I improved my driving skills driving over the old bridge after more than a few at the Greyhound
Bob Laing Chris Rabey
The important thing is that you saw the bridge
Chris Rabey Bob Laing Haha yep that would be right, Bob. Tell me, anyone, now the Taramakau bridge is replaced with a new one, are there any road/rail driveable bridges left in NZ?
Mowena Mason Mean kick ass memz of our bridge!! Missed dearly!! ❤️
Tanya Weepu Oh man so many mischief things we would gt upto on the bridge take two dolphin touches make out we were a car thats gone off the bridge n hold on too the sides or under bridge one time a 4x4 had spot lights on the top of his ute an turned them on snapped big time we just all let go an swam down to mouth of our river n done a huge bonfire also used to do bombs n staples n gorillas n coffins n backflips n get on the piss hide from our taua n poua parents other cuzziez so much fun an suxs mi own kids an te whanau tamariki can't enjoy missed hard
Alison Syder Awesome memories
John Moore Thanks for posting that memory.
Tania Pennicott Travelled this a few times.learner driver used to freak me out.
Kathryn Jean Bartlett
I always prayed a train wouldn’t come along - I think I held my breath the entire way
Pam Mcmanus
Did not like this bridge at all.
Alva Mundy
This brings back memory’s driving over this bridge
Scoti Raymond Thorpe
Use to swim & jump off the bridge as kids
Carrol Barnes - Baker
I remember those days coming home from Greymouth after a night out in Dads car lol
Joy Meyer
We could always tell when visitors came across the road rail bridges cos they would drive with both the rails under the car and not just one.
Annette Haile
Joy Meyer Or drive up on the side rail lol
Joy Meyer
Annette Haile yes I've seen that too.
Wayne Lockton
old pub on the left at the other end
Peter Moore
Wayne Lockton Greyhound
Wayne Lockton
Peter Moore yes not good
Peter Moore
Wayne Lockton good to get stuck in.
Pam Englefield-Absolum
Great bridge! Great timbers
Karen Whiti
I remember waiting for trains so we could drive over the bridge
Michael Barron
This was a fun bridge on a motorcycle!!!
Robert Miedema
I always hated that bridge.
Phyllis Johnston
Tthe old bridges were full of character. Now you can hardly see th river.there
David Whyte
Was tricky in the rain on a motorcycle. The boards never lined up!
Suzanne Tones Wolfe
I remember this bridge, shuuuuuuddddder, lol
Anbarbara Duckett
I crossed it once with a train riiiight behind me, on my bumper. I am sure the driver thought that was funny, Only the fact he was bigger than me, could not slow down as fast as I could stopped me form any shenanigans.
Anne Honey
No believe me the last thing you wanted to see. Backing in terror.
Donald Hibbs
It creaked and groaned a bit in the loco. When they built the new bridge we railed the beams to the site and they were unloaded by crane for the new bridge.
Pete Lusk
We came up to the bridge one time, there was a cluster of cars and people, a biker had skidded on the rails, tipped over, and was lying there injured. It was raining heavily, but the biker was being well cared for by a couple of nurses on their way to work, then a doctor came along. The biker was well and truly triaged by the time the ambulance got there.
Jill Leonard
I remember riding my bike on the bridge and meeting the railcar coming up from Ross, I biked like crazy to one of the safety areas. The driver yelled at me in passing and my parents knew about it before I got home
Lindsay Thompson
Crossing that bridge when the river was in high flood was always nerve wracking
Gavin Ladbrook
Remember when it was redecked at night. I was the one that done it 49 night's of rain.
AlanSandra Weir
Gavin Ladbrook yup, hands down the shittest job ever
Reply1d
Gavin Ladbrook
AlanSandra Weir
Laugh Emoticon Sticker by AridenaOSD
Glenda Jackson
Gosh I remember both the bridge and having a night out at the pub for our Griffen & Smith Christmas club dinner. Had a great time and lots of laughter.
Glenda Jackson
Oh think I have the wrong bridge I was thinking it was the bridge before Kūmara.
Wendy Larsen
Yes your on the taramakau
Glenda Jackson
Wendy Larsen yes that’s the one Wendy
Wendy Larsen
Glenda Jackson are you guys home yet cheers
Glenda Jackson
Yes a week or more lol
Wendy Larsen
Was real freaky on the night fifty
Janet Jim Leeks
Wendy Larsen I remember the time you and I were both on the nifty fifty on that bridge with the police right behind us.
Wendy Larsen
Nifty
Billie Jo Mayer
Loved this bridge
Nelson Bradley
I drove onto north end of Arahura bridge only to meet the train about to exit the last bay of the bridge i was able to stop in a hurry and back off the rail lines before the train pushed me away, we used to site other end of bridge, no rail waggons, no train ,
Was a short train that day.
Christine Stewart
Fun bridge in thee rain on a bike …. Went for a skid on this one years ago in my teens
Alan Beck
I think the NZ/US film "Shaker Run" had a scene on the bridge, with a stuntman going into the river. Or "Race for the Yankee Zephyr". One of those. The bridge was in the trailer for the film.
Leigh Doidge
Cool bridge, glad to be one of the last generations to drive on it.
Fiona Pollard
Have fond memories of both bridges, Arahura and Taramakau. Tourists never really got the method and I ended up nose to nose middle of bridge once. They backed off!Raewyn Stephens
mo too i loved them. I was so sad to see them go
Janet Birch
It was never good to get your bicycle tyre stuck between those rail irons and the Timbers! As locals we always knew what time the trains and railcar would be there.
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West Coast New Zealand History (13th Mar 2023). Crossing the Arahura Bridge.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 29th Apr 2026 15:46, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/25488