Top of the Reefton saddle after the Inangahua Earthquake

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DescriptionThe photo looks like it is at the top of the Reefton Saddle. I was a Telecom Technician and two of us were sent to try and get to Inangahua Junction. There was no communication from there, so we were tasked to find out why and re-establish communication. A dozer had just made a path around the slip at the top of the Reefton Saddle, so we managed to get through there. After a short stop at the Reefton Telephone Exchange, we made progress to The Landing but could go no further. An Iroquois helicopter had just arrived, so they dropped us in to the Junction. Damage was so bad nothing could be done to re-establish normal communication. A Telecom worker was up there on leave and had his Ham Radio gear with him, so communication was temporally established that way. We joined the Civil Defence Team and assisted in evacuating the locals from the area back to Reefton. This was necessary as a mountain side had slipped and blocked the Buller River and the concern was that if the dam building up behind it let go, the Inangahua Junction Village was at risk of being washed away.
The attached photo shows the Post Office and Telephone Exchange in the centre foreground.Date of Photo1968Map^[1]ContributorGeoffrey Bell

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EventTop of the Reefton saddle after the Inangahua Earthquake

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Date Created31st May 2024

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Top of the Reefton saddle after the Inangahua Earthquake

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