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Otira Gorge 1959
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DescriptionAuckland Libraries Heritage Collection 1528-50037
J B Roundtree CollectionPhotographerJ B RoundtreeDate of Photo1959Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
J B Roundtree CollectionPhotographerJ B RoundtreeDate of Photo1959Map[1] ContributorMaye Dunn
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Location (city or town)Otira Gorge
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Category TagRoads
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Date Created22nd August 2020CommentsHiria Apanui Oh my... yes remember that road winding up and over the mountain the things we did back then gives me the horrors now..
Nina Townsend I learnt to drive on that road old nzr bedde pretty exciting stuff drove from otira to Arthur's about 3 times a week musta been the whole of 15
Sue McCallum That was a scary for sure
Margi Adamson Remember it well
Arlene Hutcheon Yes, I remember that road, travelling over from Christchurch to Hokitika to visit my grandparents when we were young.
David Carty A great drive for a 16 year old
Drove it three weeks after getting my license for the firm I worked for in1956
Nina Townsend David Carty alot of trust put in kids back then
David Carty Nina Townsend so true, my son also drove it with his mother when he was a young fella a the age of 17,in the mid 1970s I was unable to be there coz of work commitments,
Tony Hall great drive
John Hunt Travelled that many times pre and after that date. A very challenging drive back then due to road conditions and car ability. Down hill traffic had to give way to uphill traffic which was crucial yet some drivers did not understand the consequences of their failure to do so.
David Carty John Hunt so true the stretch from Candy's bend down would catch quite a few out!!
John Hunt David Carty unless you travelled that road back then, people don't believe you when you described how rough it was and size and depth of pot holes on the switch backs on the gorge. Loved the drive then and still do today.
Mike Stevens Funny how you miss it.
Peta Jones Car sickness! Had my head hanging out the window! and that year!Wendy Bruce CrapPants Drive. I hated the drive from Otira to Arthurs
Phyllis Aberhart Wow scary it was bad enough in the 70's
Nina Townsend Who remembers being washed up in puke creek. Lol that's wot we called it the little creek just before Arthur's. Freezing cold water but yip remember mum often making a path dwn to that creek to clean up whatever child needed it before hitting the town
Dorothy Wills An awesome amazing photo
Jonesy Wolfhunter Jones Drove over it with my cousin Peter lying in the back of our Mitsubishi hatchback in September 1975 heading to Christchurch ..
Donald Pearson Yes,itcertainly was a drive to remember.
Judith Jones It made a young person a good driver. Having to give way to down hill traffic. Lots of hand brake starts. Often wondering if the car had enough gears to get up zig zag when following slow driver.
Owen Winstanley Are you sure that is correct. I thought downhill traffic was supposed to give way to uphill traffic. Didn't always happen though.
Jan Blackburn Glad to hear that you remember this as someone disputed the fact that you had to give way to downhill traffic. I freaked me worried about rolling back into cars behind!!!
Ian Miller
I recall going over in the mid fifties and being somewhat scared on one particularly awkward bend that was much steeper that the car would slide backwards in the gravel, but it didn't.
Margaret Standen
Had lots of trips over the years. The most memorable was getting stuck behind other cars on the zig zag without chains. The Army were passing threw and assisted everyone fortunately.
John Armstrong
Traffic going uphill always give way because if one comming down brakes they will slide due to gravity
Owen Winstanley
John Armstrong sorry, John, I think you have got this wrong. What about the gravity effect on the car going uphill when it stops. Also wouldn't the downhill car be braking all the way down. There used to be signs telling drivers to give way to uphil…
Nina Townsend I learnt to drive on that road old nzr bedde pretty exciting stuff drove from otira to Arthur's about 3 times a week musta been the whole of 15
Sue McCallum That was a scary for sure
Margi Adamson Remember it well
Arlene Hutcheon Yes, I remember that road, travelling over from Christchurch to Hokitika to visit my grandparents when we were young.
David Carty A great drive for a 16 year old
Drove it three weeks after getting my license for the firm I worked for in1956
Nina Townsend David Carty alot of trust put in kids back then
David Carty Nina Townsend so true, my son also drove it with his mother when he was a young fella a the age of 17,in the mid 1970s I was unable to be there coz of work commitments,
Tony Hall great drive
John Hunt Travelled that many times pre and after that date. A very challenging drive back then due to road conditions and car ability. Down hill traffic had to give way to uphill traffic which was crucial yet some drivers did not understand the consequences of their failure to do so.
David Carty John Hunt so true the stretch from Candy's bend down would catch quite a few out!!
John Hunt David Carty unless you travelled that road back then, people don't believe you when you described how rough it was and size and depth of pot holes on the switch backs on the gorge. Loved the drive then and still do today.
Mike Stevens Funny how you miss it.
Peta Jones Car sickness! Had my head hanging out the window! and that year!Wendy Bruce CrapPants Drive. I hated the drive from Otira to Arthurs
Phyllis Aberhart Wow scary it was bad enough in the 70's
Nina Townsend Who remembers being washed up in puke creek. Lol that's wot we called it the little creek just before Arthur's. Freezing cold water but yip remember mum often making a path dwn to that creek to clean up whatever child needed it before hitting the town
Dorothy Wills An awesome amazing photo
Jonesy Wolfhunter Jones Drove over it with my cousin Peter lying in the back of our Mitsubishi hatchback in September 1975 heading to Christchurch ..
Donald Pearson Yes,itcertainly was a drive to remember.
Judith Jones It made a young person a good driver. Having to give way to down hill traffic. Lots of hand brake starts. Often wondering if the car had enough gears to get up zig zag when following slow driver.
Owen Winstanley Are you sure that is correct. I thought downhill traffic was supposed to give way to uphill traffic. Didn't always happen though.
Jan Blackburn Glad to hear that you remember this as someone disputed the fact that you had to give way to downhill traffic. I freaked me worried about rolling back into cars behind!!!
Ian Miller
I recall going over in the mid fifties and being somewhat scared on one particularly awkward bend that was much steeper that the car would slide backwards in the gravel, but it didn't.
Margaret Standen
Had lots of trips over the years. The most memorable was getting stuck behind other cars on the zig zag without chains. The Army were passing threw and assisted everyone fortunately.
John Armstrong
Traffic going uphill always give way because if one comming down brakes they will slide due to gravity
Owen Winstanley
John Armstrong sorry, John, I think you have got this wrong. What about the gravity effect on the car going uphill when it stops. Also wouldn't the downhill car be braking all the way down. There used to be signs telling drivers to give way to uphil…
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West Coast New Zealand History (7th Jun 2021). Otira Gorge 1959. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 10th Apr 2026 06:41, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/28332