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Otira Gorge, 1975.
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Location (city or town)Otira GorgeEventOtira Gorge, 1975.
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Date Created25th November 2019CommentsPhyllis Aberhart And to think we used to drive over it. Looking at that photo it looks quite scary
June Williams Phyllis Aberhart it was when the corrugations caused the car to jump sideways around the corners.
Debbie Ansett All us Coasters were experts at driving that road.
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect What's the red hut?
Anne Conaghan In the 1960 's all without seat belts !!
Arthur Bass The Rock Shelter.
Marilyn Ramsay It was shalter if you got stuck up there plus a road workers hut
Arlene Hutcheon A rock shelter. When I was young, my parents drove over that road many a time on the way to Hoki to see grandparents.
Miriam Rogers omg we travelled that road quite often with Tracy Leis and Chris Rogers
Tracy Leis Miriam Rogers yeah and bet Helena and Ivan never forget the car over the edge - was frightening...
Steph JF My father drove up on 2 wheels as the car coming down did not give way. If he stopped the desota it would have stalled!
Kathryn Cox Still do drive over that bit Phyl...only change is the rock shelters there now.
Jenny Marshall I used to drive over otira at least every month. I loved that road. Not so interesting with all the changes
Murray Webber If you could drive there, you could drive anywhere
John McInroe Been there driven that.
Stuart McMillan Great drive
Yvonne Lawson Scary when you get to the top it’s dark, foggy and you can’t see a dam thing in front of you.
Graham Ngatuere 1979 I travelled over those zig zags and it was snowing got stuck and the tow out man came an got me took me back to the road works huts...bloody good bunch of blokes... went back up at lunch time day after towed my old c.f. beddie
out went back to murch... good old days...
Don Hutton It was one way in those days. You had to guage your chance. Uphill traffic had the right of way. Who observes that now?
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect You don't need to observe it now as it's 2 way.
Don Hutton Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect Of course, I know that, having driven over Otira since 1066, but there are narrow one way sections of roads elsewhere in NZ even today where younger people have no idea about that old courtesy.
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect ALL younger people lack that courtesy? Gosh, what a blanket statement. That's like saying ALL older drivers never go above 80kms on the open road and hog the road by never allowing faster drivers to pass.
Trevor Keith Scott Don Hutton Bloody hell Don, 1066???? I am surprised you had a car license at that age?? and what did the Maori say about that after all it was still their land then???
Trevor Keith Scott I have driven over there many time car and buses, there is a CODE that up hill traffic keep as far let as possible......"But" in the very narrow spots if you are in a car YOU took the outside lane and let the Truck Bus or heavy traffic on the inside. Reason being the outside was near the river and could be dangerous. I have seen what that river could do when it got pissed off!!
Don Hutton Trevor Keith Scott OK I exaggerated a bit to make a point about the old days on the stretch of road below Candy's Bend. It was essentially one way with a few places to pass. The courtesy rule then was to give way to uphill traffic because if they had to stop taking off from a handbrake start especially on that steep road could be very dicey. BTW, the Maori arrived in NZ 2 - 3 centuries after 1066.
1
Don Hutton Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect I didn't say ALL in either case. You made that up. Very naughty. In relation to me, "younger" people could be 80 or less!! My generalisation refers to a lot of drivers who never exprienced the transalpine…See More
Rebecca Marshall I walked over it once when the very full bus to chch didn't have the power. Walked all the way to the other side of the zig zag where we got back on the bus!
Trevor Keith Scott You would have one fit body and no mistake ....if you made it.
Christine Stewart Used to travel over the zig zag when younger . Used to go from ch-ch to hokitika /Ross for holidays . Dad would stop when able and get out and take photos either going and or coming .
Gary Rauhihi As a volunteer patient I once got winched up one of those bluffs from the river bed during g a search and rescue training exercise.
Kay Palmer A great photo. Wow! Remember stopping there looking down the road.. All clear.. Off we go.. round Candy's Corner through the waterfall. Almost down.. Done, Loved that road.
Mary Taggart Loved going down not going up.Always felt the car might stall.
Malakai Locharte Omg....I so remember that hut
Christina Wardle This is why the signs said "unsuitable for towing" ....
Christine Ellis Took Aussie Hubby for a drive to the Coast over the Pass. Young chap over took us with a trailer and drove off into the unknown. Hubby still swears a lot
Christina Wardle Christine Ellis omg insane IRS bad enough with the 'new road'
John Walker I remember myself and a couple of friends pushing a Volkswagen Beetle up the hill cause it didn't have enough power on its own.
Caroline Horwood Wow...so narrow
We lost the driveshaft in old landcruiser with horse on float at the top.of the zig zag...28 yrs ago...made it down I the rain ...no brakes and no gears...enginebrakes??...I was on the back seat with a pillow over my head...hubby's a brave man...thankfully we had the road to ourselves...thank God!!!
Christina Wardle Caroline Horwood bloody hell!
Caroline Horwood Christina Wardle yup.was a bit like that!!!!
Christine Farrell Over plenty of times to see Sis in Chch. Had rosary beads in lap when going up. It was scary
andra Douglas As kids in 59-70’
travelled that road every long wknd & Xmas to our grandparents in wainoni rd was gravel.&had one experiance of many!gearbox jammed in second gear..pour with rain us kids had to get out find rocks put under wheels..abt 2 hrs later fixed& no seat belts no chains went thru snow with 4 large rounds rata wood in boot.lots memories.
Phyllis Aberhart True but it looks worse from that angle
Bruce Carey It was a bit hairy
Jenny Marshall My husband John remembers travelling over otira to chch, in the 1940s and 1950s . His mother was the driver and they stopped at the bottom of the gorge and the children collected a rock each which was used in case the car had to stop going up the gorge and, they had to hop quickly out of the car and shove a rock under the wheels.
Sandra Douglas Jenny Marshall guess they didn’t make handbrakes like today ..my sister & I were terrified car wld roll back over us ..
June Williams Phyllis Aberhart it was when the corrugations caused the car to jump sideways around the corners.
Debbie Ansett All us Coasters were experts at driving that road.
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect What's the red hut?
Anne Conaghan In the 1960 's all without seat belts !!
Arthur Bass The Rock Shelter.
Marilyn Ramsay It was shalter if you got stuck up there plus a road workers hut
Arlene Hutcheon A rock shelter. When I was young, my parents drove over that road many a time on the way to Hoki to see grandparents.
Miriam Rogers omg we travelled that road quite often with Tracy Leis and Chris Rogers
Tracy Leis Miriam Rogers yeah and bet Helena and Ivan never forget the car over the edge - was frightening...
Steph JF My father drove up on 2 wheels as the car coming down did not give way. If he stopped the desota it would have stalled!
Kathryn Cox Still do drive over that bit Phyl...only change is the rock shelters there now.
Jenny Marshall I used to drive over otira at least every month. I loved that road. Not so interesting with all the changes
Murray Webber If you could drive there, you could drive anywhere
John McInroe Been there driven that.
Stuart McMillan Great drive
Yvonne Lawson Scary when you get to the top it’s dark, foggy and you can’t see a dam thing in front of you.
Graham Ngatuere 1979 I travelled over those zig zags and it was snowing got stuck and the tow out man came an got me took me back to the road works huts...bloody good bunch of blokes... went back up at lunch time day after towed my old c.f. beddie
out went back to murch... good old days...
Don Hutton It was one way in those days. You had to guage your chance. Uphill traffic had the right of way. Who observes that now?
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect You don't need to observe it now as it's 2 way.
Don Hutton Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect Of course, I know that, having driven over Otira since 1066, but there are narrow one way sections of roads elsewhere in NZ even today where younger people have no idea about that old courtesy.
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect
Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect ALL younger people lack that courtesy? Gosh, what a blanket statement. That's like saying ALL older drivers never go above 80kms on the open road and hog the road by never allowing faster drivers to pass.
Trevor Keith Scott Don Hutton Bloody hell Don, 1066???? I am surprised you had a car license at that age?? and what did the Maori say about that after all it was still their land then???
Trevor Keith Scott I have driven over there many time car and buses, there is a CODE that up hill traffic keep as far let as possible......"But" in the very narrow spots if you are in a car YOU took the outside lane and let the Truck Bus or heavy traffic on the inside. Reason being the outside was near the river and could be dangerous. I have seen what that river could do when it got pissed off!!
Don Hutton Trevor Keith Scott OK I exaggerated a bit to make a point about the old days on the stretch of road below Candy's Bend. It was essentially one way with a few places to pass. The courtesy rule then was to give way to uphill traffic because if they had to stop taking off from a handbrake start especially on that steep road could be very dicey. BTW, the Maori arrived in NZ 2 - 3 centuries after 1066.
1
Don Hutton Admin Team - West Coast History and Recollect I didn't say ALL in either case. You made that up. Very naughty. In relation to me, "younger" people could be 80 or less!! My generalisation refers to a lot of drivers who never exprienced the transalpine…See More
Rebecca Marshall I walked over it once when the very full bus to chch didn't have the power. Walked all the way to the other side of the zig zag where we got back on the bus!
Trevor Keith Scott You would have one fit body and no mistake ....if you made it.
Christine Stewart Used to travel over the zig zag when younger . Used to go from ch-ch to hokitika /Ross for holidays . Dad would stop when able and get out and take photos either going and or coming .
Gary Rauhihi As a volunteer patient I once got winched up one of those bluffs from the river bed during g a search and rescue training exercise.
Kay Palmer A great photo. Wow! Remember stopping there looking down the road.. All clear.. Off we go.. round Candy's Corner through the waterfall. Almost down.. Done, Loved that road.
Mary Taggart Loved going down not going up.Always felt the car might stall.
Malakai Locharte Omg....I so remember that hut
Christina Wardle This is why the signs said "unsuitable for towing" ....
Christine Ellis Took Aussie Hubby for a drive to the Coast over the Pass. Young chap over took us with a trailer and drove off into the unknown. Hubby still swears a lot
Christina Wardle Christine Ellis omg insane IRS bad enough with the 'new road'
John Walker I remember myself and a couple of friends pushing a Volkswagen Beetle up the hill cause it didn't have enough power on its own.
Caroline Horwood Wow...so narrow
We lost the driveshaft in old landcruiser with horse on float at the top.of the zig zag...28 yrs ago...made it down I the rain ...no brakes and no gears...enginebrakes??...I was on the back seat with a pillow over my head...hubby's a brave man...thankfully we had the road to ourselves...thank God!!!
Christina Wardle Caroline Horwood bloody hell!
Caroline Horwood Christina Wardle yup.was a bit like that!!!!
Christine Farrell Over plenty of times to see Sis in Chch. Had rosary beads in lap when going up. It was scary
andra Douglas As kids in 59-70’
travelled that road every long wknd & Xmas to our grandparents in wainoni rd was gravel.&had one experiance of many!gearbox jammed in second gear..pour with rain us kids had to get out find rocks put under wheels..abt 2 hrs later fixed& no seat belts no chains went thru snow with 4 large rounds rata wood in boot.lots memories.
Phyllis Aberhart True but it looks worse from that angle
Bruce Carey It was a bit hairy
Jenny Marshall My husband John remembers travelling over otira to chch, in the 1940s and 1950s . His mother was the driver and they stopped at the bottom of the gorge and the children collected a rock each which was used in case the car had to stop going up the gorge and, they had to hop quickly out of the car and shove a rock under the wheels.
Sandra Douglas Jenny Marshall guess they didn’t make handbrakes like today ..my sister & I were terrified car wld roll back over us ..
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West Coast New Zealand History (30th Oct 2022). Otira Gorge, 1975.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 26th Apr 2026 19:53, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/26557