Cableway Over Otira River

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30561, 2 October 1964, Page 19

Cableway Over Otira River

ork progress on a two-span cablecfw across the Otira river, below Aickens. The a memoria . l to Mr Brian Morrison intend a Car ? ccident a few years ago, is +^ d d t 0 better access for week-end tampers and climbers to the wilderness area of the Arthur’s Pass National Park

The two spans of the cable-, way will cross the two branches of the river at the bridging point. The first span will be 465 ft long and the second 640 ft long. The central island at the bridging point is about a quarter of a mile wide. The cableways will each carry a cage to take one tramper and his gear. The occupant will winch himself across as in a flying-fox. A feature of the design, however, is that weights will be hung over pulleys at each supporting tower to minimise the centra! sag in the main wire rope and so make the winching operation much easier than with a flying-fox. There is no supporting tower on the far bank of the river from Aickens, the cableway being secured to a big rimu tree.

The park board has arranged for tracks to be cut from the far end of the cableway to the Taramakau and Deception rivers. Work on the project has so far been carried out at week-ends, by parties supplied by the Canterbury University Tramping Club and the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Alpine Club. Other organisations have promised working parties for future week-ends. Help has been given by park rangers, and the work has been directed by Mr P. D. Anderson, a Christchurch engineer, who designed the cableways. Mr E. Evans, whose land borders the river on the Aickens side, has also given considerable assistance. The work may be finished by Christmas, the completion date depending partly on when the wire rope for the main cables is delivered. About £BOO is available for the project, one-third having come from public subscription and the rest from Government subsidy.