Knights Point facts for kids
Knights Point is a special lookout spot on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island. It's a place where you can enjoy amazing views of the ocean and coastline.
Building a New Road
In the 1950s, New Zealand was busy building lots of important roads and bridges. One big project was to create a new road across the South Island. This road would connect the east coast, going over the Haast Pass, and then travel up the west coast. The goal was to link up with an existing road that ended at Ross.
Two different teams worked on this huge project. One team started building the road from the Haast Pass towards the coast. They even built a bridge near the Haast River mouth. The second team began working south from Ross. They slowly made their way towards the first team.
Finally, the two construction teams met on the coast, just north of Haast. It was a big moment for New Zealand's travel and transport!
How Knights Point Got Its Name
As the new road was almost finished, officials from the Ministry of Works (the government department in charge of building things) visited the meeting point. They wanted to plan a special monument to celebrate the road's completion.
During their visit, the officials suggested naming the spot after a senior person from their office in Wellington, New Zealand's capital city. But the construction workers had a different idea! They told the officials that the area was already known as Knights Point.
The officials were curious and asked who "Knight" was. The workers then shared a fun secret: Knight was the name of the surveyor's dog! So, Knights Point was officially named after Norman McGeorge's dog, Knight.
The final section of this important road, which is now called State Highway 6, was officially opened on 6 November 1965.
What You Can See Today
Today, Knights Point is a popular stop for travelers. It has a car park and a viewing platform where you can look out over the coast towards Arnott Point. It's a fantastic place to spot wildlife! You can often see New Zealand fur seals resting on the rocks below. Sometimes, if you're lucky, you might even see a large elephant seal visiting the area.
Images for kids
-
View from Knights Point lookout to Arnott Point
