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Old bridge across Hokitika River. -2 PHOTOS-
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DescriptionGordon Davidson took these shots of old bridge across Hokitika River. Notice rail lines have been removed
PhotographerGordon DavidsonMap[1] ContributorAlan Davidson
PhotographerGordon DavidsonMap[1] ContributorAlan Davidson
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Location (city or town)HokitikaLandmark (Place)Hokitika bridge
Category Information
Category TagBridge
From Facebook
Date Created28th November 2019CommentsCharlie Blanchett Remember the noise
Heather Newby clackety clack
June Williams We lived in Rolleston Street and we always knew when someone was going over the bridge. Clackety clack
Margaret Elizabeth Carter Carter I remember the noise my anuty lived 3 house from the bridge
Kevin Voigt World's longest xylophone
Flag Mckenzie Hokitika rattle.
John Walker You could tell when the Mahinapua pub closed for the night.
Arlene Hutcheon My grandparents lived in Revell st, we could hear cars going over the bridge sometimes
Pat Weir When living Hall St Gibson Quay area certainly heard clackety clack from the bridge with vehicles coming and going especially at night golfers being one lot returning home
1
Frank Winter Wonderful , well remember it complete with railway tracks ! Love old photos , please keep them coming . Gillian .
Hokitika's Coolest things to see and do.
Hokitika's Coolest things to see and do. Old sleeper were stolen 20 + yrs ago
Willy Simpson Remember coming up to Hoki from Hari Hari clattering across that bridge with mum and Dad to go shopping.
Sandra Geddes Yip it was different alright!
Kevin Voigt It's because it no running planks on it, you had to be careful get on to it straddle 1 rail not 2 also your car wasn't to low as would catch on rail
John Radley If you had a car load it would drag on the lines
Arthur Dehn It didn't have any guard rails along each side to stop any cars crashing over the sidesStephen Foster
They use to call it clickity clack that was the sound it made when the cars went across it we use to jump off it in the swimming holes Was a bit freaky when the train came we would stand on the edge rail and hold on tight wouldn’t want our kids doing this good ok days
Heather Newby
we used to call it the clickety clack bridge too
Marty Agnew
Stephen Foster so much fun on that bridge bro stopping the train with an old chair from a white batters hut then climbing on a wagon and off we go to Ross good times
Stephen Foster
Marty Agnew how did yas get back
Glenn Johnston
Some called it, "the longest zylophone in the world". Certainly remember the sounds of vehicles crossing whilst lying in bed at night. There would be a few cars crossing after pubs closed then things would go quiet.
Lynnette Beirne
Used to be fun riding my old bike across there when heading out to my grandparents farm at Mananui and to Lake Mahinapua
Heather Newby
Lynnette Beirne would be wonderful riding a bike on that bridge!
Reply1m
Arlene Hutcheon
I remember the old bridge. I could hear cars going across it from Revell St when I stayed with my grandparents.
June Williams
Arlene Hutcheon we lived in Rolleston Street and on a still night there was no mistaking the sound of cars crossing the bridge.
David Wood
Your car needed a decent ground clearance to go across that when the rails were still in place!
Robert McMillan
Brings back memories - dived off the top once is younger sillier days!
Peter Curtain
Robert McMillan I remember you doing that Mac, a huge dive, balls of steel old mate.
Peter Curtain
Lesley Thomas
our daughter has a beautiful wooden chest made from it.
Heather Newby
Lesley Thomas what was the wood?
Reply1m
Michelle Olson-Chamberlain
Loved being on that bridge.you would find a ladder and go down it and go mushrooming and blackberry picking, while keeping an eye out for the cows
Donna Baird
Nana Ruby and I were on our bikes riding home from whitebaiting. We dropped kerosine Tin with bait in it. I remember scooping the whitebait up before it went down between the sleepers!
Richard Cudmore
Awesome‼️
Gary Robert Little
Spent a lot of time on that bridge , so much fun them days
Dave Lyes
Better than the school jungle gym any day of the week. Great adventures regardless of weather or water flow.
Lindsay Courtis
Was one of the last cars across October 1978.wife's family farm Takatai.golf course.
Margaret Standen
Our longline poles were from timber off the bridge.
Wjohn Sweney
If the wind was right we could here vehicles crossing from near Kaniere!!
Wayne Searle
Still got a scar on my lip, Broke a tooth Front wheel in the line ouch
John Webster
buggers will steal anything lol
Robert John Mallinson
John Webster hopr they took all the dogs too
Christine Stewart
Loved that old bridge
Elaine Haggart
Special memories of the bridge
Steve Jones
Great old bridge spent alot of time on it.
Kathryn Ward
Loved being able to climb down and get on the island
Diane Taylor
Gordon Davidson.. are you Maree Davidsons brother ?
Greg Hine
Me and my cousin used to walk out on this when all the boards had been removed and it was just corrugated iron across the spans mid 80s?
Diane Craig
Dad and I used to climb down the ladder and go after mushrooms each morning on the island.
Clare Pierson
During the 40s and the 50s there was an"orchestra" of sounds during the night - whining Kanieri gold dredge, (strings) roaring sea with crashing waves (percussion) and the big bridge xylophone. Sometimes accompanied by rain on iron roofs and thunder and lightning. Locals slept through.. Visitors to town wide awake, l!!
Shona Ratana
Remember this bridge.
Mary Hood
I remember when it had rail lines
I remember driving over that and the clatter of the tyres...scary when wet
Averil Thorpe
Wow walked the bridge many a time
Reply
19h
Patricia Milne
We quite often used to travel that way from Ross to Hokitika when I was a kid. Was a rickety trip over it.
Glenn Johnston
A few of us often used to play on the islands and used the bridge for access. Steve Jones if you are the Steve who once lived on the corner of Stafford and Rolleston Streets you were one of us. I remember one rainy afternoon we sheltered in Thompson's whitebait hut so Wayne Thompson (now an undertaker as was his father and grandfather) was likely with us. I some times fished for yellow eyed mullet (aka herring) off the "piers" protecting the piles using a handline, rod or basket net. Sometimes kahawai or brown trout were caught with rod from the piers and you needed an accomplice or landing net to successfully land them. Gary Sharland is one of many names I recall from fishing off the bridge days. Gary & I co-operated to help land each others bigger fish at times.
Alison Armstrong
I can still hear the car Rattle!
Diane King
How many remember having 2 reverse off because tourists or ignorant motorists would drive on, worse when there were motorists behind you!!
Vern Pattinson
I remember those days!
Wayne Southon
Went over it a few times.
Kathryn Ward
Haha yes!
Des Hetherington
I remember going 100 mph in a souped up anglia across that bridge one night going to work at Ruatapu sawmill with Arthur wicks at the wheel . What a sound...
Debbieanne Johnson
The good ole days !!
Heather Newby clackety clack
June Williams We lived in Rolleston Street and we always knew when someone was going over the bridge. Clackety clack
Margaret Elizabeth Carter Carter I remember the noise my anuty lived 3 house from the bridge
Kevin Voigt World's longest xylophone
Flag Mckenzie Hokitika rattle.
John Walker You could tell when the Mahinapua pub closed for the night.
Arlene Hutcheon My grandparents lived in Revell st, we could hear cars going over the bridge sometimes
Pat Weir When living Hall St Gibson Quay area certainly heard clackety clack from the bridge with vehicles coming and going especially at night golfers being one lot returning home
1
Frank Winter Wonderful , well remember it complete with railway tracks ! Love old photos , please keep them coming . Gillian .
Hokitika's Coolest things to see and do.
Hokitika's Coolest things to see and do. Old sleeper were stolen 20 + yrs ago
Willy Simpson Remember coming up to Hoki from Hari Hari clattering across that bridge with mum and Dad to go shopping.
Sandra Geddes Yip it was different alright!
Kevin Voigt It's because it no running planks on it, you had to be careful get on to it straddle 1 rail not 2 also your car wasn't to low as would catch on rail
John Radley If you had a car load it would drag on the lines
Arthur Dehn It didn't have any guard rails along each side to stop any cars crashing over the sidesStephen Foster
They use to call it clickity clack that was the sound it made when the cars went across it we use to jump off it in the swimming holes Was a bit freaky when the train came we would stand on the edge rail and hold on tight wouldn’t want our kids doing this good ok days
Heather Newby
we used to call it the clickety clack bridge too
Marty Agnew
Stephen Foster so much fun on that bridge bro stopping the train with an old chair from a white batters hut then climbing on a wagon and off we go to Ross good times
Stephen Foster
Marty Agnew how did yas get back
Glenn Johnston
Some called it, "the longest zylophone in the world". Certainly remember the sounds of vehicles crossing whilst lying in bed at night. There would be a few cars crossing after pubs closed then things would go quiet.
Lynnette Beirne
Used to be fun riding my old bike across there when heading out to my grandparents farm at Mananui and to Lake Mahinapua
Heather Newby
Lynnette Beirne would be wonderful riding a bike on that bridge!
Reply1m
Arlene Hutcheon
I remember the old bridge. I could hear cars going across it from Revell St when I stayed with my grandparents.
June Williams
Arlene Hutcheon we lived in Rolleston Street and on a still night there was no mistaking the sound of cars crossing the bridge.
David Wood
Your car needed a decent ground clearance to go across that when the rails were still in place!
Robert McMillan
Brings back memories - dived off the top once is younger sillier days!
Peter Curtain
Robert McMillan I remember you doing that Mac, a huge dive, balls of steel old mate.
Peter Curtain
Lesley Thomas
our daughter has a beautiful wooden chest made from it.
Heather Newby
Lesley Thomas what was the wood?
Reply1m
Michelle Olson-Chamberlain
Loved being on that bridge.you would find a ladder and go down it and go mushrooming and blackberry picking, while keeping an eye out for the cows
Donna Baird
Nana Ruby and I were on our bikes riding home from whitebaiting. We dropped kerosine Tin with bait in it. I remember scooping the whitebait up before it went down between the sleepers!
Richard Cudmore
Awesome‼️
Gary Robert Little
Spent a lot of time on that bridge , so much fun them days
Dave Lyes
Better than the school jungle gym any day of the week. Great adventures regardless of weather or water flow.
Lindsay Courtis
Was one of the last cars across October 1978.wife's family farm Takatai.golf course.
Margaret Standen
Our longline poles were from timber off the bridge.
Wjohn Sweney
If the wind was right we could here vehicles crossing from near Kaniere!!
Wayne Searle
Still got a scar on my lip, Broke a tooth Front wheel in the line ouch
John Webster
buggers will steal anything lol
Robert John Mallinson
John Webster hopr they took all the dogs too
Christine Stewart
Loved that old bridge
Elaine Haggart
Special memories of the bridge
Steve Jones
Great old bridge spent alot of time on it.
Kathryn Ward
Loved being able to climb down and get on the island
Diane Taylor
Gordon Davidson.. are you Maree Davidsons brother ?
Greg Hine
Me and my cousin used to walk out on this when all the boards had been removed and it was just corrugated iron across the spans mid 80s?
Diane Craig
Dad and I used to climb down the ladder and go after mushrooms each morning on the island.
Clare Pierson
During the 40s and the 50s there was an"orchestra" of sounds during the night - whining Kanieri gold dredge, (strings) roaring sea with crashing waves (percussion) and the big bridge xylophone. Sometimes accompanied by rain on iron roofs and thunder and lightning. Locals slept through.. Visitors to town wide awake, l!!
Shona Ratana
Remember this bridge.
Mary Hood
I remember when it had rail lines
I remember driving over that and the clatter of the tyres...scary when wet
Averil Thorpe
Wow walked the bridge many a time
Reply
19h
Patricia Milne
We quite often used to travel that way from Ross to Hokitika when I was a kid. Was a rickety trip over it.
Glenn Johnston
A few of us often used to play on the islands and used the bridge for access. Steve Jones if you are the Steve who once lived on the corner of Stafford and Rolleston Streets you were one of us. I remember one rainy afternoon we sheltered in Thompson's whitebait hut so Wayne Thompson (now an undertaker as was his father and grandfather) was likely with us. I some times fished for yellow eyed mullet (aka herring) off the "piers" protecting the piles using a handline, rod or basket net. Sometimes kahawai or brown trout were caught with rod from the piers and you needed an accomplice or landing net to successfully land them. Gary Sharland is one of many names I recall from fishing off the bridge days. Gary & I co-operated to help land each others bigger fish at times.
Alison Armstrong
I can still hear the car Rattle!
Diane King
How many remember having 2 reverse off because tourists or ignorant motorists would drive on, worse when there were motorists behind you!!
Vern Pattinson
I remember those days!
Wayne Southon
Went over it a few times.
Kathryn Ward
Haha yes!
Des Hetherington
I remember going 100 mph in a souped up anglia across that bridge one night going to work at Ruatapu sawmill with Arthur wicks at the wheel . What a sound...
Debbieanne Johnson
The good ole days !!
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West Coast New Zealand History (11th Mar 2022). Old bridge across Hokitika River. -2 PHOTOS-. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 26th Apr 2026 18:07, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/26582