Construction of the road between Hollyford and Okuru in South Westland.1938.

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Description Carving a highway through mountain and bush: pictures of initial work on the new Hollyford-Okuru Road.
This new highway is being put through between Hollyford, in the north-west of Otago, and Okuru, South Westland, opening up a considerable tract of Fordland country notable for its magnificent scenery and providing access to and from remote South Island areas. These pictures illustrate initial formation work where the road is to branch off from the Te Anau-Milford Sound highway, at a point about eight miles from the Homer Saddle. Work on the Homer tunnel and construction of this road are being handled together and men from the Homer will be employed on the Okuru highway when the avalanche season renders work at the tunnel unsafe.
Clearing a rough section of the route before blasting away huge boulders

Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19380223-44-02PhotographerAuckland Weekly NewsDate of Photo1938-02-23Map^[1]External LinkAUCKLAND LIBRARYContributorHeather Newby

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Location (city or town)OkuruHollyfordEventConstruction of the road between Hollyford and Okuru in South Westland

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Category TagRoads

From Facebook

Date Created2nd January 2026CommentsJack Tehan
Those guys with shovels among bloody great boulders. Break a man’s hart thinking about it

Christopher Stephen Blue
Jack Tehan thankfully, they had plenty of gelignite to " play " with. Been there, done that, ( on the Haast Pass ).

Dave Morris
Correct. Finished to Gunns camp

Carnerd Mark
I guess the road was never completed.

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Construction of the road between Hollyford and Okuru in South Westland.1938.

Editing is temporarily disabled