Thursday, July 28, 2011

Otira ZigZag, 1900s


This was the main road over the Southern Alps between Canterbury and the West Coast, a colored postcard from the 1900s.  In fact it remained the main road until the Otira Gorge Viaduct was opened in 1999 which bypassed the ZigZag.  In 1923 the Otira railway tunnel was opened, allowing trains to travel the route.

For more information and photos, see the book On the TransAlpine Trail.

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