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Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge
The Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge spans the Kawarau River in the Otago region in the South Island of New Zealand. The bridge is mainly used for commercial purposes by the AJ Hackett Bungy Company for bungy jumping - the world's first commercial bungy jumping site. The bridge carries walkers, runners and bikers on the Queenstown Trail over the river. Location The bridge is in a Department of Conservation reserve, between the start of the Crown Range Road and Gibbston in the Kawarau Gorge within the Wakatipu Basin. It is above the Kawarau River. History The bridge was designed by Harry Higginson. The bridge was completed in late 1880 as a key access route to the Central Otago goldfields. Traffic was moved to a new highway bridge on State Highway 6 in 1963. The suspension bridge is classified by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I historic place. Today, it is a tourist attraction with commercialised ziplines and bungee jumping. Name The bridge's ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kawarau River
The Kawarau River is a river in the South Island of New Zealand. It drains Lake Wakatipu in northwestern Otago via the lake's Frankton Arm. The river flows generally eastwards for about and passes through the steep Kawarau Gorge until it joins Lake Dunstan near Cromwell. Before the construction of the Clyde High Dam, the Kawarau joined the Clutha River / Mata-Au in a spectacular confluence at Cromwell. The Shotover River enters the Kawarau from the north; the Nevis River enters it from the south. With many rapids and strong currents, the river can be dangerous and has claimed many lives. It is popular for bungy jumping and kayaking. A natural bridge, , where the river narrows to , was important first to early Māori and then to goldminers as the only place the Mata-Au and the Kawarau could be crossed without boats. Māori were heading for the Cardrona Valley to reach Wānaka, and on to the Haast Pass to seek pounamu. The miners were seeking gold in the Arrow Goldfields. Now the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government region. Its population was The name "Otago" is the local southern Māori dialect pronunciation of "Ōtākou", the name of the Māori village near the entrance to Otago Harbour. The exact meaning of the term is disputed, with common translations being "isolated village" and "place of red earth", the latter referring to the reddish-ochre clay which is common in the area around Dunedin. "Otago" is also the old name of the European settlement on the harbour, established by the Weller Brothers in 1831, which lies close to Otakou. The upper harbour later became the focus of the Otago Association, an offshoot of the Free Church of Scotland, notable for its adoption of the principle that ordinary people, not the landowner, should choose the ministe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kawarau Gorge
The Kawarau Gorge is a major river gorge created by the Kawarau River in Central Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand. The towns of Queenstown and Cromwell are linked by through the gorge. The gorge begins some 30 kilometres from Queenstown, close to the wine-growing community of Gibbston and the large rock outcrop known as the Nevis Bluff. It continues for some 25 kilometres before the river emerges into the upper valley of the Clutha River close to the settlement of Ripponvale. The Kawarau gorge's first historical significance was as a travel route to the South Island's West Coast. A natural bridge, "Whatatorere", where the river narrows to 1.2 metres (3.9 ft), was important first to early Māori and then to goldminers as the only place the Clutha and Kawarau rivers could be crossed without boats. Māori were heading for the Cardrona Valley to reach Wānaka, and on to the Haast Pass to seek pounamu. In the 1860s, the gorge was the site of much activity during the Ot ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Island
The South Island, also officially named , is the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand in surface area, the other being the smaller but more populous North Island. It is bordered to the north by Cook Strait, to the west by the Tasman Sea, and to the south and east by the Pacific Ocean. The South Island covers , making it the world's 12th-largest island. At low altitude, it has an oceanic climate. The South Island is shaped by the Southern Alps which run along it from north to south. They include New Zealand's highest peak, Aoraki / Mount Cook at . The high Kaikōura Ranges lie to the northeast. The east side of the island is home to the Canterbury Plains while the West Coast is famous for its rough coastlines such as Fiordland, a very high proportion of native bush and national parks, and the Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. The main centres are Christchurch and Dunedin. The economy relies on agriculture and fishing, tourism, and general manufacturing and services. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bungee Jumping
Bungee jumping (), also spelled bungy jumping, is an activity that involves a person jumping from a great height while connected to a large elastic cord. The launching pad is usually erected on a tall structure such as a building or crane, a bridge across a deep ravine, or on a natural geographic feature such as a cliff. It is also possible to jump from a type of aircraft that has the ability to hover above the ground, such as a hot-air-balloon or helicopter. The thrill comes from the free-falling and the rebound. When the person jumps, the cord stretches and the jumper flies upwards again as the cord recoils, and continues to oscillate up and down until all the kinetic energy is dissipated. Early tethered jumping The land diving ( Sa: ') of Pentecost Island in Vanuatu is an ancient ritual in which young men jump from tall wooden platforms with vines tied to their ankles as a test of their courage and passage into manhood. Unlike in modern bungee-jumping, land-divers in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queenstown Trail
The Queenstown Trail is a cycle and walking trail funded as one of the projects of the New Zealand Cycle Trail (NZCT) system in Otago, New Zealand. It links the towns of Queenstown, Arrowtown, the suburb of Jack's Point and the area of Gibbston. It is at least 110 km in length but is not linear and instead follows the terrain often near rivers and lakes to link key places in a series of tracks that also access public land. In some places it also passes through private land such as working farms and users are encouraged to stay on the trail. The trail is a joint venture between the Government, Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Queenstown Trails Trust. Routes Popular routes are listed below and can be started and finished in either direction: Frankton Track & Kelvin Peninsula Trail :Links the locations of Queenstown and Kelvin Peninsula. This track surrounds the Frankton Arm section of Lake Wakatipu. Initially the track starts close to the Queenstown Gardens a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Crown Range
The Crown Range is a mountain range that lies to the east of the Wakatipu Basin in Otago, New Zealand. It is noted for two features, the Cardrona Alpine Resort, on the slopes of the 1900 metre Mount Cardrona, and a highway, known as the Crown Range Road (formerly State Highway 89), which winds steeply between Arrow Junction, just south of Arrowtown, and Wānaka to the north. Travelling from Arrowtown towards Wānaka, the Crown Range Road starts at the bottom of the "zig zag". This steep and winding section climbs to the Crown Terrace, a large flat and fertile area capable of growing grain crops. To the left, Glencoe Road leads to Glencoe Station, the large high country station behind Arrowtown. At the end of the Crown Terrace is the Eastburn Road to Eastburn Station, which runs from the Glencoe boundary almost to Cardrona. Just past the Eastburn Road the road twists and climbs up to the Crown Saddle, where a bronze plaque at the vista point claims that this historic summit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gibbston
Gibbston is a community in the Wakatipu Basin in the Otago region of the South Island, New Zealand. Through the valley runs the Kawarau River which forms the Kawarau Gorge. The most visible aspect of the area are the vineyards and wineries next to which form part of the Central Otago wine region. The Gibbston region is the coolest and highest of the Central Otago regions with the majority of land gently sloping to the north. This northerly aspect greatly assists vineyards to grow grapes because of increased sunlight and with a reduced possibility of frost, although this still poses a significant threat. It was voted community of the year in 2011 due to the work on the Gibbston River Trail. The ''Gibbston River Trail'' and the ''Gibbston Highway Trail'' are walking/running and cycling trails that give good access to the wineries in the area but also connect to The Queenstown Trail at the Kawarau Gorge Suspension Bridge. Often Gibbston is incorrectly called ''Gibbston Valle ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wakatipu Basin
The Whakatipu Basin is a plain surrounded by mountains in Queenstown Lakes District, in the southern South Island of New Zealand. At the south west corner is found the Queenstown suburb of Frankton and Queenstown Airport. This is where the basin abuts the Frankton arm of Lake Whakatipu. At the northeast corner of the basin is Arrowtown and at the NW corner is Arthur's Point. To the south is found the Remarkables mountain range; to the North is Coronet Peak. The Crown Range forms the eastern boundary of the basin. Located centrally in the basin is Lake Hayes. Much of the basin is drained by the Kawarau River. The economy of the basin and surrounding areas is largely supported by tourism, though the importance of the vineyards of the Gibbston Valley and Central Otago wine regions has increased since the 1990s. Demographics Wakatipu Basin statistical area covers and had an estimated population of as of with a population density of people per km2. Wakatipu Basin had a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harry Higginson
Harry Pasley Higginson (1838–1900) was a British and New Zealand civil engineer who was notable for constructing the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company (WMR) line from Wellington to the Manawatu in the 1880s. The WMR was a private company, as the government had decided not to build the line. Higginson also played an important role in the discovery of Dodo bones on the island of Mauritius in 1865. Higginson was born in Thormanby, North Yorkshire, England in 1838 and educated at the Collegiate School, Leicester. Engineering career He was apprenticed to Sir William Fairbairn in Manchester for five years, then constructed railways, canals and water works in Russia in 1860–61, in Mauritius from 1862 until 1866, and in England and in India. He became an associate member of the Institute of Civil Engineers while in India in 1868, and a full member in 1871. In 1872 Higginson was appointed as superintending engineer for railways and public works in the South Island. In 1878 he le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Suspension Bridges In New Zealand
Suspension or suspended may refer to: Science and engineering * Suspension (topology), in mathematics * Suspension (dynamical systems), in mathematics * Suspension of a ring, in mathematics * Suspension (chemistry), small solid particles suspended in a liquid **Colloidal suspension * Cell suspension or suspension culture, in biology * Suspension (mechanics), system allowing a machine to move smoothly with reduced shock * The superstructure of a suspension bridge * Suspensory behavior, arboreal locomotion of primates * Magnetic suspension, a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields * Car suspension Temporary revocation of privileges * Suspension (punishment), temporary exclusion as a punishment ** Suspension from the UK parliament ** Suspension (Catholic canonical penalty) * Suspension of driving privileges ("suspended driver's license") * Administrative License Suspension (ALS), US, driving license suspension without a court hearing Entert ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queenstown-Lakes District
Queenstown-Lakes District, a local government district, is in the Otago Region of New Zealand that was formed in 1986. It is surrounded by the districts of Central Otago, Southland, Westland and Waitaki. Much of the area is often referred to as Queenstown because of the popularity of the resort town, but the district covers a much wider area, including the towns of Wānaka to the north-east, Glenorchy to the north-west and Kingston to the south. The district is sometimes called the Southern Lakes, as it contains Lake Wakatipu, Lake Wānaka and Lake Hāwea. Local government The Queenstown Borough Council was constituted in 1866. In 1986, Queenstown Borough Council merged with Lake County to form Queenstown-Lakes District Council. In 1989, Arrowtown Borough Council amalgamated with Queenstown-Lakes District Council in the 1989 local government reforms. The district is administered by the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and regionally by the Otago Regional Council ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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