Another fishy inmate asked about the new bridge, as he had also read that the new tourists footbridge was to be installed in February. So we gave the authorities a couple of weeks’ grace before checking on progress. Perhaps we should have checked on which year?

The clearing of bush along the sides of the Tongariro River Trail on the eastern TRB (True Right Bank, looking downriver) had commenced, just downriver from the existing 1955 bridge. So we can confirm that Juno had found the correct site location.

So they only have to drop in the walkway to fill the gap over the water to the other bank and it will all be done.

Piece of cake!

The existing 70+ year old bridge was assembled by 18 year old soldiers serving their compulsory military service in 1955. A camp was set up by them on the river reserve.

It would never qualify for a permit or a resource consent now. Evidence is in the old concrete lamp posts lashed together to provide the support for the suspension wires at the eastern end.

The bridge was damaged during the 1958 and 2004 floods and restored soon afterwards.