Cliff Hende had the contract to build the road between Okuru and Arawhata

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DescriptionMy father Cliff Hende had the contract to build the road between Okuru and Arawhata, the trees were growing in swamp. They felled the trees to form a base and then gravelled the road. It was very hard living down there amongst the sand flies and mosquitoes, very isolated, had to get there by boat or aeroplane. My brother Bill(Cliff) had to live with our grandparents at Cameron’s & Paroa to go to school. We used to fly home for school holidays, mostly in a Fox Moth.Map^[1]ContributorIda Havill

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Location (city or town)ArawhataOkuruPersonCliff HendeEventRoadbuilding at Arawhata and Okuru

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Category TagRoads

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Date Created28th April 2022CommentsWjohn Sweney
The Hendes were our neighbors at Kaniere the marvelous bull dozer was a TD 15? Not sure. Coral taught mum about whitebait.

Colleen Yee
What year was this road built?

Blair Culling
Colleen Yee mid 60's was when the cordory(sp?) was done. I think?
A friend worked on the road and he's in his 80s now. Went on to be a deer culler after working on this and the Haast roads

Justine Gekas
Our family lived down there while that was happening. We had to go to school by plane in February and fly home at the end of November. On one flight home my 2 sisters and I were alone in this small plane and the door flew open. The pilot didn’t know that had happened but we landed safely

Ida Havill
Justine Gekas Hi Justine, Barbara & Bernadette were my friends, I remember you and your whole family.

Liz Hay

Ida, I remember your Dad and your family well. We lived down the hill from you at Kaniere and my Dad, Fred Sweney, built a new house on the property. Your Mum showed mine how to catch whitebait. Mum went whitebaiting for years till in her 90s, once a … See more

Trish Barry Andrews
Ha ha, I guess that is why the road is a little uneven now but that is just how it was done in those days, Baz.
Ida Havill
The Waiatoto road was built in the early 1940s.

Heather Newby
Ida Havill just amazing how they did it!!

PaulAnthony Teens
Honeymoon straight!
Keston Ruxton
Is that what was earlier called a corduroy road?

Kevin Oregan
How it was all done even on bush roads til the early 70's. WJ Sweeney late 40's the bulldozer was most probably a TD 14 rather than 15 which were made not until late 50's. Marvellous effort and yes the sandfly's and mozzies were a pain in the bum even many years later. What wonderful pilots those old guys were. Everything visual, seat of the pant stuff. Kevin O'ReganGabrelle Hart
What a mission back in the day.

Jim Wilson
Great piece of social history.

Peter Robertson
Several others had trucks as well as Hende.It was a PWD project.Jim Dennehy,Bill Robertson,also George Cupples,Harry Smith,Les McGeady, maybe one or two I can't remember

Stuart Chapman
Peter Robertson this is my father, Jack Chapman, he is 95, still going strong and living with me in Brisbane. He worked for Cliff Hende around 1950, and he remembers all those names. Cheers

John Rosanowski
I see on Time Team that this method was also used by the Romans in Britain to get a road through boggy places. Was called "corduroying," for obvious reasons, when used (eg on the ruinous old Reefton Saddle) in NZ.

Maurice Surgenor
Hope you are well ida

Margaret Matthews
Great road it is too. Still going strong. Thanks to people like your Father

Tanz Bryce
Beryl McGurk

Mark Martini
The road has a wave with heavy vehicles, I have walked sections many times and you can see/feel the movement with heavy trucks in places with a swamp base.Marlene Schroder
My father Henry Hende also had a truck and worked on this road.

Mauryne Cannell
Great to read this information.

Elaine Direen
What year was the road built?

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Cliff Hende had the contract to build the road between Okuru and Arawhata

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