Open/Close Toolbox
Copyright is retained by the photographer and/or contributor. Please do not reuse without permission.
Format: Photograph
Copyright
Copyright is retained by the photographer and/or contributor. Please do not reuse without permission.
Menu
Otira zig zag
Expand/collapse
About this image
DescriptionIt was essential to top up the oil and water before motoring to Christchurch via the zig-zag road over the pass. Dozens of dead possums littered the road during the journey over the hill as we called it. There were no speed cameras. On one occasion I abandoned my white car halfway up the zig zag during a snow storm because a snow chain slipped off the wheel, rupturing the brake oil pipe. Heavy snow covered the car that night. The next morning the road contractors clearing the pass completely demolished the side of my vehicle as they graded down the zig zag. Photo's are the zig zag and the road 10 years after the zig zag was closed in 1999.Map[1] ContributorTony Kokshoorn
Shown in this image
Landmark (Place)Otira zig zag
From Facebook
Date Created29th August 2021CommentsDorothy Wills
That would have been devastating hope you managed to recover your vehicle. An absolute beauty of a photo
Chris Hanright
Devils staircase
Pauleen Knowles
Been over there a few times before it was closed, heart in mouth all the way!!!!
Gavin Davy
Used to love the Zigzag.
David Stewart
Not ss much snow these days
David Hall
Great memories, especially the couple of shoots over the road.
Judy Tawhiti
What an experience.Interesting to hear end of story.Did u get help from passing motorist.
Cheryl King
Gosh how easily we forget what that drive was like, now we zoom up the viaduct, two lanes, no giving way to uphill traffic by pulling over.
Ben Williams
Oliver Rose Imagine that on the bikes
Glenn Brickmann
Ben Williams i could freee wheel on a bmx all the way to the old petrol station site in otira
Glenn Brickmann
Ben Williams unless you have to stop at the one one bridge at the bottom
Arthur Bass
Ben Williams I saw a lady pedalling up at the top of the Zig Zag from the Otira side. You could count all her muscles. Only time I ever saw it. Everyone else was off pushing.
Malcolm Gollan
The road definately looks precarious from that angle. You can see why they replaced it.
Graeme Tucker
Was a great trip
Graham Porter
Travelled many times on that road from 1983 to the present day.....
Brian McIntyre
As a 10 year old I loved it in the early 50s with my daredevil Aunty in her 1938 Chev drifting in the gravel and the rear inside wheel chattering up the step like bumps on every corner
Mal Russell
Very dodgy in middle of winter.drove/rode it many
Faye York
Loved it! Keep the revs up!!!
Margaret Grant
Dont know how but used to tow a single horse float up there and over in the old holden ute ..
Colin Taylor
Wow. I had driven that road many times in the 70s and 80s. Loved it.
Bob Jamieson
Yes, the Zig Zag. Going to Ch.Ch. one day in the Wolseley 6/80 about two bends from the top when !st. and 2nd. gear packed in. Marie took kids up to the summit whilst I slipped the clutch in 3rd. gear. very subdude trip from the top to Arthurs pass township.
Trevor Taylor
Could be scary at times .. i remember once driving up in my Mk1 Escort... they had just put down grit because of ice . It spun its wheels all the way up ... wasnt a pleasant experience.
Wendy Bruce
You knew you could drive once you’d conquered the ZigZag
Cathy Howat
We had to stop part way up to let the radiator cool.
Mary Molloy
Super perspective of the zig zag. Had some hairy experiences there
Tania Tones Lawrence
Not good for us car sick kids.
Wayne Leckie
Loved that zig zag
Paul Kitto
I traveled it many times. Never worried me at all but as I have gotten older my anxiety levels go up when I think about it.
Rachel Olliver
Dad's advice the first time I drove it - "put it in 2nd, don't let the revs drop and whatever you do, don't bloody stop". Loved it in a car but not so much in a bus.
Karen Potter
Very narrow road. Hated it.
Greg Hine
Used to love travelling Arthur’s when the zig zag was in use, every trip an adventure!
·
John Paget
I went over it many times but the worst was with my father. His cars were old bombs at best. He done his own repairs ''badly''. Anyway we lost a brake hose up there on the way home in his Comma van. It should have been called a Full Stop. I remember this made for an interesting trip especially with only the rear brakes working.
Trish Rennie
I remember going up the very last steep slope before the summit with my father in his Ford Fairlane and we were slipping back constantly on the ice...finally he got traction after letting the car drift back a little -this was about the fifth attempt and I was ready to jump out by then...anyway we finally got moving and we reached the passing bay at the top where Dad was to pull in to let the car cool down
Malcolm Yorston
Driving up there in an old 1955 VW grinding away in 1st gear and our German Shepherd (who had been given a feed of cooked opossum by Father in Law) farted, had to open both front doors so we could breath.
Trish Rennie
Oops....upon pulling into the bay we noted Trevor Hahn...one of Dads work colleagues....sitting in the grader and he was clapping and laughing. He said he would have towed us up but he was thoroughly enjoying watching Dads efforts to not let the mountain beat him....as you can imagine my father wasn't really amused at the time but laughed about it in later years
Goff Rielly
Rode it many a times from CHCH to the coast on a motorcycle was hard work in the rain tought me how to ride
Bryce Smith
Thanks. I was always quite a journey going home to Dunedin from Moana via Haast
Simon Watkins
Loved the zigzags. .blew the top off a piston in my lj torana just past candys creek then turned around and drove it back to hoki
Andrew Mckenzie
Yep it was a road and a half! One story Dad told me was in the mid 60's when my parents built the bach at Iveagh Bay. Dad and his brother in-law drove over in a Model A pickup. The back of teh Model A had 0.5 cubic metre premix on board and the single non braked trailer had the same on it plus 6 bags of cement. All up about 2 ton of weight. Coming down the Zig Zag Dad had it in 1st gear, the handbrake fully on and the brake pedal to the floor. It was still getting away on him. The Brother in-law was standing on the running board with the door shut on the outside ready to jump if things got worse. Needless to say they made it. Just another story to add to the stigma of the Zig Zag
Lynn Hopkins
Oh Malc how funny,I remember that,he used to give it to our shepherd as well,same as pig,god it stunk
Warren Thomson
It was damned hard work biking up the zig zag in the pouring rain. Once was enough.
Roger O'Regan
Great photo of it. It surely presented a challenge to most, but let's face, back then there a few dodgy roads around. Great ride on a motorbike!
Craig Colville
Love that peice of road....i came through from the coast one time, can remember starting the gourge road, then cant remember driving any part of it untill i got to botom o zig zag.
Darren Kirner
Was always a challenge in the older cars.
The ole 2nd gear crawl, until you needed first!! Lol All the old advice, go down in the same gear you go up in. Pump ya brakes.........
Then the cursing when you had to slow down due to some bugger in front of you struggling. Making sure you had water etc with you....
Then all the ole pubs for a pie n a beer. Bloody good memories
John Chipper
That’s the best shot I’ve seen of it.
We used to walk over it to get a beer at Otis.
Rob Davis
Had a Morris 1100 Landcrab.
It couldn’t manage the zig zag at all
Les Bryce
I had the honour of driving the last bus down the Zig Zag and up the first up the Viaduct on the opening day.
Curtis Parker
Otera gorge I think sorry spelling might be wrong??if anyone knows, I have travelled it meny times as a young lad and loved to stop at the top and feed the keas with bread and take pictures of them
June Williams
I remember it well. Made the trip to Christchurch many times in the 50s and 60s
Leeanne Sneddon
I loved riding it on my motorbike . We have some amazing roads for corners,but this one along with the old Hope saddle have been "straightened " up and are more user friendly for traffic. Man I could ride back then
Brenda Gill
Otira
Dale Felmingham
Heard of several instances back in the 60s where people would go up the zig zag in reverse as reverse gear was lower ratio than first
Also remember coming down the zig zag and being overtaken by some clown in a big six or V8 and he was hoofing it - last thing I saw was his brake lights on and tyres or brakes smoking at the corner and he was gone. Presume he got down unscathed
Gavin Davy
Probably me. got through most times.
David Wood
That's a wonderful view of the road and really highlights why it was so vulnerable. It was a great drive though - in either direction:)
Phyllis Aberhart
I used to go over a few times a year to see my father in Nelson Creek. Afer he died I didnt go over for 10 years. I was shocked how badly it had deteriorated in that time. I was coming down one of the zigzags where there was a soccer sized rock on my side of the road & a big truck coming up coming over my side of the road to get round the sharp bend, I pulled over stopped put t the rock on the edge of the road & stayed there till the truck got passed. This was not long befre they started the viaduct
Raymond Snee
I think I remember dad telling me years ago when the road was gravel and he had a model T Ford and it boiled at the top of the climb.
Barry Butcher
I have driven up there in thick fog not recommended.
Jean Keenan
used hold my breath on the zig zag
Kathryn Ward
I never liked going up the zig
zag coming down was not so bad。 great photo。
Paul Smith
Race against the clock 3 Hrs was a good time from Greymouth to Church Corner Upper Riccarton. Over the Zig Zag all gravel road Kumara to Springfield.
Bob Jamieson
My best time in the beetle was 3:16hrs, 1967, non stop.
Steve Lowe
The caption reads... "Photos are the zig zag and the road 10 years after the zig zag was closed in 1999." Obviously this particular photo was taken before the zig zag closed... The viaduct is missing.
John Flattery-donohoe
hi Tony .im 69 now but still remem going over to ross as a 17yr old in my old 47 hillman car it was 8am on a sat morn .bit hard to forget a trip like that really .over heated brakes,running hot dodging dead possums as they would snap yer steering arms,stopping to put the billy on an have a hot cuppa an bite to eat an let things cool down.ngt time now getting dark no map an a bit of the where the hell am i comin into ,no spare fuel. took me about 14hrs an remem gettin into ross an gettin bloody cold an as yet nowhere to stay.kiwi inginuity comes into play went jus out of ross parked up on side grass unscrewed bonnet put down my ground sheet on grass bonnit on top then big hessian bag like old fashion ones for sleeping in put my sleeping bag inside it took backseat out put behind bonnet[ole v shape type with sides] an crawled in an pulled seat in more as it was my pillar .that stuffed slept like a log. woke up in morn fresh as an frost all around an on bonnet an bit of seat ha ha .went an looked up boss a started work up on lime crusher monday morn. they still had the dmain in ross an the next sat they had the fair there.also remem they had the oilrig boys in a tug of war with laydown blocks for you feet purchases.they were staying in ross at the 2nd pub which was a dry pub an jus for accom bk then .we all drank at the other pub round cnr. an little be known to me an was to cause me a lot of trouble b4 an when i entered the forces . i caught what was later known as the malarial strain similar to that in fiji there in ross.it was approx 12yrs after i left the forces in 78 that scientists discovered the virus an that it had a 10yr cycle. i had about 4-5 reacurring bouts . when posted overseas an in the jungle it used to knock the shit out of me but proud to say i never gave in . anyway i,ll stop there as that another lifetime . cheers all.hope you enjoyed the post of a kid that jus couldnt sit still bk then so many places to see an so much to doNancy Irene Wakelin
Kathy Gilbert
Norman Willerton
Peter Halliday
I used to love that part of the journey best.
Lynda Mary Graham
Great pic
Mark Galbraith
Remember going to chch for the day with mad brad and heading back to grey going through Arthur's just on dark and it was snowing, we made it up to the top part just before devil's corner but every time we tried to get up the last bit we would have to slide around and go back and make another mad dash up the hill, even mad brad had to admit defeat in the end, so we pulled over and thought, shit we gonna have to hunker down for the night, an hour later a dude in a V8 Ute came out of nowhere and said, you jokers wanna lift, he put us in the back of the ute, as he had passengers, flew over the gorge put us up for the night at Moana then brought us back to brad's car in the morning and helped us get it going, that's coaster's for ya
Johnny Bromley
Mark Galbraith I heard a story from someone that done a chch trip with mad Said he was literally crying Refused to go home with him
Mark Galbraith
Johnny Bromley that's why they called him mad brad
Stephen Harris
Morris 1000 stuck behind a Holden on a steep section and had to slow down on the way to Peter Frampton concert
Moose and passengers pushed us to get moving again
Lyn Gosling
WE were going to Christchurch with a trailer on and the poor little car didnt want to go up the slope, so the kids and i abandoned ship (or car) and walked up while hubby drove.
Marlene Jackson Perry
Terry MJ
Warner Nut Curry
What a drive Tony, Good thing you weren't in the car when the plow came along,
Kathryn Ward
In the early 50s In the winter my parents put their car on the train and got it off at Arthur’s and drivebrest of way to ChCh. Must have been a lot of snow or ice to be doing that.Marty Farty
Was a great thrill riding this bit of road fast on a big motor bike , it certainly got the adrenaline glands working Lol
Michael Bickerton
I backed up a section of the road in my Datsun 180b with a truck in low gear a foot away from my bumper with 2 screaming mates after missing a pasting lane. Lol good times
Pete Muckle
No fun towing race cars from ChCh to Greymouth and the trailer brakes give out…. A real test of skill and endurance
Lindsay Hughes
Pete Muckle used to have lots of fun driving the stocky over there as the two car didn’t have enough power to tow it. Even more fun when there was a group of us racing. Surprised a few on coming cars when the stocky was completely sideways around the hairpins.
Murray Bone
i remember the buses going around Candys bend had to do a two point turn to get around it .
Lois McMillan
I remember the shingle road
Rob Uddstrom
My Grandmother used to travel by coach to ChCh back in the day,she told me they had to get off and all push the coach on the steep bits.
Cynthia McCaughan
A lot of comments about towing trailers. I thought that road was closed to towing?
Glenn Cockburn
Cynthia McCaughan nope, just not recommended
Cynthia McCaughan
Glenn Cockburn Bad enough doing it on the overpass, I wouldn't want to on the old road!
Glenn Cockburn
Great piece of road middle of winter, middle of the night doing urgent ambulance transfers. (Pre helicopters.)
Kathryn Cox
Glenn Cockburn times have certainly changed Glenn.
Shelley Hand
I absolutely hated that zig zag as a child it scared me to death. Especially going over in a bloody bus!!
Susan Johnstone Lord
Back in the days before cars...some people took ships to Sydney to shop rather than the trip to ChCh involving coaches and a long walk up this road..
Can't blame them
Crow Bay
I went up there in 1989 in a 1979 falcon ute with a 351 v8 and auto. when I started the zig zag I said to the passenger. " after years of struggling up here I have always wanted to do this!!" and floored the ute out of every bend and we went up roaring and wheel spinning all the way up. Just over the top I was caught up by a family station wagon I tried my best to stay in front of the bastard but they embarrassed me and overtook me!!! Remember that Moe Lyn N Moe lol
Lyn N Moe
Crow Bay No I dont Jock. good story though.
Crow Bay
come on....the railways can't sack you now. for flogging their car
Den O'Brien
I remember in 82 I drove a falcon station wagon there and one hair pin bend, I had to changed to 1st gear to get up
Allan Vincent
i do remember on the second time over the pass Dad stopping and showing me the goat track going much further up over the slip the coaches took years before. that was much higher than the road in the picture. and twice as steep. Susan's correct ! the Grey bar in't that bad!
Michael Welsh
I had an Austin A 55 which didn’t have reverse coming from the Christchurch side terrified of meeting an oncoming car . A new cotter pin in the column change did the trick.
· Reply · 1d
Paul O'Hagan
Michael Welsh Blue and white I think
· Reply · 1d
Blair Johnston
Going up in a Bedford bus on my form 2 school class trip to Christchurch in the mid 90s, that was a trip and a half.
Angela Robinson
Blair Johnston was that the ski field one? it was hair raising!
Andrea McIntosh
I remember this road with you guys
Phil Holmwood and
Marie Ann Schaumann
Ash Pace
We had a rock through the roof on Candy’s bend once coming home and mum drove with a rain coat on
Craig Hames
I remember driving up to the top and getting about 20m from the top and a line of ice angled across the road about 10ft wide no way my front wheel drive 1100 would get over the ice , reversed back to wide area of road put chains on to get 10 feet , cold and miserable
Lois Little
I would get out and walk and make my brother or whoever drive the car lol made Gary once I remember
Mick Latta
Great race track for motorbikes
Tony Fortune
I've biked up and down the zig zag several times (pushbike)over the years.
Arthur Bass
Tony Fortune you would want good brakes for the trip down Tony !
Mike Minehan
Our Ross uncles, Martin and Jim, used to drive their old Bedford pug nosed truck over the hill with a load of cattle or sheep for Addington, back loading with lucerne hay. Never went along but saw Jim on the pass there one trip of mine. You´d need plenty of water for the radiator going up there in low-low gear!! And be oblivious of the people crawling along behind you
Warren Thomson
Mike Minehan I knew your uncles. Out at the Totara. If you recall Jimmy? Rea one of the last at the end of the valley a relation of his worked for me 20-30 years ago.
Marie Summer
i broke down on the zig zag not far from the top omg so freaky and steep many years ago had to get towed over the rest.
Chris Moriarty
Arrived at the top of the pass one night returning from Temuka and hit sleet conditions about Bealy. About 3in of snow had settled and down hill braking was dodgy……as I was about to start the downhill a grader appeared about of the gloom, also headed downhill…..stayed about five metres off its rear end all the way down……never so grateful to see a MOW worker in my life…..those guys were/are legends….
Sandra Tam
My first attempt driving myself and 3x children is remembered with all three screaming ..dont kill us mum..you know you are not a good driver... lol... charming they settled down as we traveled over every month..thank goodness for music..i turned it up so i couldn't hear their screaming..mother of the year award ha ha..fyi..they are adult's and still alive
That would have been devastating hope you managed to recover your vehicle. An absolute beauty of a photo
Chris Hanright
Devils staircase
Pauleen Knowles
Been over there a few times before it was closed, heart in mouth all the way!!!!
Gavin Davy
Used to love the Zigzag.
David Stewart
Not ss much snow these days
David Hall
Great memories, especially the couple of shoots over the road.
Judy Tawhiti
What an experience.Interesting to hear end of story.Did u get help from passing motorist.
Cheryl King
Gosh how easily we forget what that drive was like, now we zoom up the viaduct, two lanes, no giving way to uphill traffic by pulling over.
Ben Williams
Oliver Rose Imagine that on the bikes
Glenn Brickmann
Ben Williams i could freee wheel on a bmx all the way to the old petrol station site in otira
Glenn Brickmann
Ben Williams unless you have to stop at the one one bridge at the bottom
Arthur Bass
Ben Williams I saw a lady pedalling up at the top of the Zig Zag from the Otira side. You could count all her muscles. Only time I ever saw it. Everyone else was off pushing.
Malcolm Gollan
The road definately looks precarious from that angle. You can see why they replaced it.
Graeme Tucker
Was a great trip
Graham Porter
Travelled many times on that road from 1983 to the present day.....
Brian McIntyre
As a 10 year old I loved it in the early 50s with my daredevil Aunty in her 1938 Chev drifting in the gravel and the rear inside wheel chattering up the step like bumps on every corner
Mal Russell
Very dodgy in middle of winter.drove/rode it many
Faye York
Loved it! Keep the revs up!!!
Margaret Grant
Dont know how but used to tow a single horse float up there and over in the old holden ute ..
Colin Taylor
Wow. I had driven that road many times in the 70s and 80s. Loved it.
Bob Jamieson
Yes, the Zig Zag. Going to Ch.Ch. one day in the Wolseley 6/80 about two bends from the top when !st. and 2nd. gear packed in. Marie took kids up to the summit whilst I slipped the clutch in 3rd. gear. very subdude trip from the top to Arthurs pass township.
Trevor Taylor
Could be scary at times .. i remember once driving up in my Mk1 Escort... they had just put down grit because of ice . It spun its wheels all the way up ... wasnt a pleasant experience.
Wendy Bruce
You knew you could drive once you’d conquered the ZigZag
Cathy Howat
We had to stop part way up to let the radiator cool.
Mary Molloy
Super perspective of the zig zag. Had some hairy experiences there
Tania Tones Lawrence
Not good for us car sick kids.
Wayne Leckie
Loved that zig zag
Paul Kitto
I traveled it many times. Never worried me at all but as I have gotten older my anxiety levels go up when I think about it.
Rachel Olliver
Dad's advice the first time I drove it - "put it in 2nd, don't let the revs drop and whatever you do, don't bloody stop". Loved it in a car but not so much in a bus.
Karen Potter
Very narrow road. Hated it.
Greg Hine
Used to love travelling Arthur’s when the zig zag was in use, every trip an adventure!
·
John Paget
I went over it many times but the worst was with my father. His cars were old bombs at best. He done his own repairs ''badly''. Anyway we lost a brake hose up there on the way home in his Comma van. It should have been called a Full Stop. I remember this made for an interesting trip especially with only the rear brakes working.
Trish Rennie
I remember going up the very last steep slope before the summit with my father in his Ford Fairlane and we were slipping back constantly on the ice...finally he got traction after letting the car drift back a little -this was about the fifth attempt and I was ready to jump out by then...anyway we finally got moving and we reached the passing bay at the top where Dad was to pull in to let the car cool down
Malcolm Yorston
Driving up there in an old 1955 VW grinding away in 1st gear and our German Shepherd (who had been given a feed of cooked opossum by Father in Law) farted, had to open both front doors so we could breath.
Trish Rennie
Oops....upon pulling into the bay we noted Trevor Hahn...one of Dads work colleagues....sitting in the grader and he was clapping and laughing. He said he would have towed us up but he was thoroughly enjoying watching Dads efforts to not let the mountain beat him....as you can imagine my father wasn't really amused at the time but laughed about it in later years
Goff Rielly
Rode it many a times from CHCH to the coast on a motorcycle was hard work in the rain tought me how to ride
Bryce Smith
Thanks. I was always quite a journey going home to Dunedin from Moana via Haast
Simon Watkins
Loved the zigzags. .blew the top off a piston in my lj torana just past candys creek then turned around and drove it back to hoki
Andrew Mckenzie
Yep it was a road and a half! One story Dad told me was in the mid 60's when my parents built the bach at Iveagh Bay. Dad and his brother in-law drove over in a Model A pickup. The back of teh Model A had 0.5 cubic metre premix on board and the single non braked trailer had the same on it plus 6 bags of cement. All up about 2 ton of weight. Coming down the Zig Zag Dad had it in 1st gear, the handbrake fully on and the brake pedal to the floor. It was still getting away on him. The Brother in-law was standing on the running board with the door shut on the outside ready to jump if things got worse. Needless to say they made it. Just another story to add to the stigma of the Zig Zag
Lynn Hopkins
Oh Malc how funny,I remember that,he used to give it to our shepherd as well,same as pig,god it stunk
Warren Thomson
It was damned hard work biking up the zig zag in the pouring rain. Once was enough.
Roger O'Regan
Great photo of it. It surely presented a challenge to most, but let's face, back then there a few dodgy roads around. Great ride on a motorbike!
Craig Colville
Love that peice of road....i came through from the coast one time, can remember starting the gourge road, then cant remember driving any part of it untill i got to botom o zig zag.
Darren Kirner
Was always a challenge in the older cars.
The ole 2nd gear crawl, until you needed first!! Lol All the old advice, go down in the same gear you go up in. Pump ya brakes.........
Then the cursing when you had to slow down due to some bugger in front of you struggling. Making sure you had water etc with you....
Then all the ole pubs for a pie n a beer. Bloody good memories
John Chipper
That’s the best shot I’ve seen of it.
We used to walk over it to get a beer at Otis.
Rob Davis
Had a Morris 1100 Landcrab.
It couldn’t manage the zig zag at all
Les Bryce
I had the honour of driving the last bus down the Zig Zag and up the first up the Viaduct on the opening day.
Curtis Parker
Otera gorge I think sorry spelling might be wrong??if anyone knows, I have travelled it meny times as a young lad and loved to stop at the top and feed the keas with bread and take pictures of them
June Williams
I remember it well. Made the trip to Christchurch many times in the 50s and 60s
Leeanne Sneddon
I loved riding it on my motorbike . We have some amazing roads for corners,but this one along with the old Hope saddle have been "straightened " up and are more user friendly for traffic. Man I could ride back then
Brenda Gill
Otira
Dale Felmingham
Heard of several instances back in the 60s where people would go up the zig zag in reverse as reverse gear was lower ratio than first
Also remember coming down the zig zag and being overtaken by some clown in a big six or V8 and he was hoofing it - last thing I saw was his brake lights on and tyres or brakes smoking at the corner and he was gone. Presume he got down unscathed
Gavin Davy
Probably me. got through most times.
David Wood
That's a wonderful view of the road and really highlights why it was so vulnerable. It was a great drive though - in either direction:)
Phyllis Aberhart
I used to go over a few times a year to see my father in Nelson Creek. Afer he died I didnt go over for 10 years. I was shocked how badly it had deteriorated in that time. I was coming down one of the zigzags where there was a soccer sized rock on my side of the road & a big truck coming up coming over my side of the road to get round the sharp bend, I pulled over stopped put t the rock on the edge of the road & stayed there till the truck got passed. This was not long befre they started the viaduct
Raymond Snee
I think I remember dad telling me years ago when the road was gravel and he had a model T Ford and it boiled at the top of the climb.
Barry Butcher
I have driven up there in thick fog not recommended.
Jean Keenan
used hold my breath on the zig zag
Kathryn Ward
I never liked going up the zig
zag coming down was not so bad。 great photo。
Paul Smith
Race against the clock 3 Hrs was a good time from Greymouth to Church Corner Upper Riccarton. Over the Zig Zag all gravel road Kumara to Springfield.
Bob Jamieson
My best time in the beetle was 3:16hrs, 1967, non stop.
Steve Lowe
The caption reads... "Photos are the zig zag and the road 10 years after the zig zag was closed in 1999." Obviously this particular photo was taken before the zig zag closed... The viaduct is missing.
John Flattery-donohoe
hi Tony .im 69 now but still remem going over to ross as a 17yr old in my old 47 hillman car it was 8am on a sat morn .bit hard to forget a trip like that really .over heated brakes,running hot dodging dead possums as they would snap yer steering arms,stopping to put the billy on an have a hot cuppa an bite to eat an let things cool down.ngt time now getting dark no map an a bit of the where the hell am i comin into ,no spare fuel. took me about 14hrs an remem gettin into ross an gettin bloody cold an as yet nowhere to stay.kiwi inginuity comes into play went jus out of ross parked up on side grass unscrewed bonnet put down my ground sheet on grass bonnit on top then big hessian bag like old fashion ones for sleeping in put my sleeping bag inside it took backseat out put behind bonnet[ole v shape type with sides] an crawled in an pulled seat in more as it was my pillar .that stuffed slept like a log. woke up in morn fresh as an frost all around an on bonnet an bit of seat ha ha .went an looked up boss a started work up on lime crusher monday morn. they still had the dmain in ross an the next sat they had the fair there.also remem they had the oilrig boys in a tug of war with laydown blocks for you feet purchases.they were staying in ross at the 2nd pub which was a dry pub an jus for accom bk then .we all drank at the other pub round cnr. an little be known to me an was to cause me a lot of trouble b4 an when i entered the forces . i caught what was later known as the malarial strain similar to that in fiji there in ross.it was approx 12yrs after i left the forces in 78 that scientists discovered the virus an that it had a 10yr cycle. i had about 4-5 reacurring bouts . when posted overseas an in the jungle it used to knock the shit out of me but proud to say i never gave in . anyway i,ll stop there as that another lifetime . cheers all.hope you enjoyed the post of a kid that jus couldnt sit still bk then so many places to see an so much to doNancy Irene Wakelin
Kathy Gilbert
Norman Willerton
Peter Halliday
I used to love that part of the journey best.
Lynda Mary Graham
Great pic
Mark Galbraith
Remember going to chch for the day with mad brad and heading back to grey going through Arthur's just on dark and it was snowing, we made it up to the top part just before devil's corner but every time we tried to get up the last bit we would have to slide around and go back and make another mad dash up the hill, even mad brad had to admit defeat in the end, so we pulled over and thought, shit we gonna have to hunker down for the night, an hour later a dude in a V8 Ute came out of nowhere and said, you jokers wanna lift, he put us in the back of the ute, as he had passengers, flew over the gorge put us up for the night at Moana then brought us back to brad's car in the morning and helped us get it going, that's coaster's for ya
Johnny Bromley
Mark Galbraith I heard a story from someone that done a chch trip with mad Said he was literally crying Refused to go home with him
Mark Galbraith
Johnny Bromley that's why they called him mad brad
Stephen Harris
Morris 1000 stuck behind a Holden on a steep section and had to slow down on the way to Peter Frampton concert
Moose and passengers pushed us to get moving again
Lyn Gosling
WE were going to Christchurch with a trailer on and the poor little car didnt want to go up the slope, so the kids and i abandoned ship (or car) and walked up while hubby drove.
Marlene Jackson Perry
Terry MJ
Warner Nut Curry
What a drive Tony, Good thing you weren't in the car when the plow came along,
Kathryn Ward
In the early 50s In the winter my parents put their car on the train and got it off at Arthur’s and drivebrest of way to ChCh. Must have been a lot of snow or ice to be doing that.Marty Farty
Was a great thrill riding this bit of road fast on a big motor bike , it certainly got the adrenaline glands working Lol
Michael Bickerton
I backed up a section of the road in my Datsun 180b with a truck in low gear a foot away from my bumper with 2 screaming mates after missing a pasting lane. Lol good times
Pete Muckle
No fun towing race cars from ChCh to Greymouth and the trailer brakes give out…. A real test of skill and endurance
Lindsay Hughes
Pete Muckle used to have lots of fun driving the stocky over there as the two car didn’t have enough power to tow it. Even more fun when there was a group of us racing. Surprised a few on coming cars when the stocky was completely sideways around the hairpins.
Murray Bone
i remember the buses going around Candys bend had to do a two point turn to get around it .
Lois McMillan
I remember the shingle road
Rob Uddstrom
My Grandmother used to travel by coach to ChCh back in the day,she told me they had to get off and all push the coach on the steep bits.
Cynthia McCaughan
A lot of comments about towing trailers. I thought that road was closed to towing?
Glenn Cockburn
Cynthia McCaughan nope, just not recommended
Cynthia McCaughan
Glenn Cockburn Bad enough doing it on the overpass, I wouldn't want to on the old road!
Glenn Cockburn
Great piece of road middle of winter, middle of the night doing urgent ambulance transfers. (Pre helicopters.)
Kathryn Cox
Glenn Cockburn times have certainly changed Glenn.
Shelley Hand
I absolutely hated that zig zag as a child it scared me to death. Especially going over in a bloody bus!!
Susan Johnstone Lord
Back in the days before cars...some people took ships to Sydney to shop rather than the trip to ChCh involving coaches and a long walk up this road..
Can't blame them
Crow Bay
I went up there in 1989 in a 1979 falcon ute with a 351 v8 and auto. when I started the zig zag I said to the passenger. " after years of struggling up here I have always wanted to do this!!" and floored the ute out of every bend and we went up roaring and wheel spinning all the way up. Just over the top I was caught up by a family station wagon I tried my best to stay in front of the bastard but they embarrassed me and overtook me!!! Remember that Moe Lyn N Moe lol
Lyn N Moe
Crow Bay No I dont Jock. good story though.
Crow Bay
come on....the railways can't sack you now. for flogging their car
Den O'Brien
I remember in 82 I drove a falcon station wagon there and one hair pin bend, I had to changed to 1st gear to get up
Allan Vincent
i do remember on the second time over the pass Dad stopping and showing me the goat track going much further up over the slip the coaches took years before. that was much higher than the road in the picture. and twice as steep. Susan's correct ! the Grey bar in't that bad!
Michael Welsh
I had an Austin A 55 which didn’t have reverse coming from the Christchurch side terrified of meeting an oncoming car . A new cotter pin in the column change did the trick.
· Reply · 1d
Paul O'Hagan
Michael Welsh Blue and white I think
· Reply · 1d
Blair Johnston
Going up in a Bedford bus on my form 2 school class trip to Christchurch in the mid 90s, that was a trip and a half.
Angela Robinson
Blair Johnston was that the ski field one? it was hair raising!
Andrea McIntosh
I remember this road with you guys
Phil Holmwood and
Marie Ann Schaumann
Ash Pace
We had a rock through the roof on Candy’s bend once coming home and mum drove with a rain coat on
Craig Hames
I remember driving up to the top and getting about 20m from the top and a line of ice angled across the road about 10ft wide no way my front wheel drive 1100 would get over the ice , reversed back to wide area of road put chains on to get 10 feet , cold and miserable
Lois Little
I would get out and walk and make my brother or whoever drive the car lol made Gary once I remember
Mick Latta
Great race track for motorbikes
Tony Fortune
I've biked up and down the zig zag several times (pushbike)over the years.
Arthur Bass
Tony Fortune you would want good brakes for the trip down Tony !
Mike Minehan
Our Ross uncles, Martin and Jim, used to drive their old Bedford pug nosed truck over the hill with a load of cattle or sheep for Addington, back loading with lucerne hay. Never went along but saw Jim on the pass there one trip of mine. You´d need plenty of water for the radiator going up there in low-low gear!! And be oblivious of the people crawling along behind you
Warren Thomson
Mike Minehan I knew your uncles. Out at the Totara. If you recall Jimmy? Rea one of the last at the end of the valley a relation of his worked for me 20-30 years ago.
Marie Summer
i broke down on the zig zag not far from the top omg so freaky and steep many years ago had to get towed over the rest.
Chris Moriarty
Arrived at the top of the pass one night returning from Temuka and hit sleet conditions about Bealy. About 3in of snow had settled and down hill braking was dodgy……as I was about to start the downhill a grader appeared about of the gloom, also headed downhill…..stayed about five metres off its rear end all the way down……never so grateful to see a MOW worker in my life…..those guys were/are legends….
Sandra Tam
My first attempt driving myself and 3x children is remembered with all three screaming ..dont kill us mum..you know you are not a good driver... lol... charming they settled down as we traveled over every month..thank goodness for music..i turned it up so i couldn't hear their screaming..mother of the year award ha ha..fyi..they are adult's and still alive
Editing is temporarily disabled
Cancel Edit
Click on the image to add
a tag or press ESC to cancel
a tag or press ESC to cancel
West Coast New Zealand History (3rd Sep 2021). Otira zig zag. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 9th Apr 2026 01:22, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/29922