Percy Burn Viaduct facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Percy Burn Viaduct |
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| Coordinates | 46°14′28″S 167°18′14″E / 46.241086°S 167.303951°E |
| Carries | Pedestrians on the Hump Ridge Track |
| Crosses | Percy Burn |
| Locale | Fiordland, New Zealand |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Trestle |
| Material | Timber |
| Total length | 125 metres (410 ft) |
| Height | 36 metres (118 ft) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1923 |
| Closed | 1928 |
The Percy Burn Viaduct is a very old and important wooden bridge. It is located in the far south of New Zealand's South Island. Many people say it is the biggest wooden viaduct still standing anywhere in the world!
It used to be a railway for carrying logs. Today, it is a special footbridge. It is a highlight of the popular Hump Ridge Track for hikers.
Building the Viaduct
A long time ago, in the early 1900s, many companies in New Zealand cut down native trees for wood. One big company, the Marlborough Timber Company, needed more trees. They found a forest near Te Waewae Bay in the southwest. It was a tough place to get to. The main type of tree they cut down was called rimu.
To get the logs out, the company first built a wharf and a small town at Port Craig. But they still needed a way to move logs from the forest to the wharf. So, they built a 25-kilometre-long bush tramway. This was like a small railway for logs.
The tramway had to cross four big, deep valleys called "burns." To do this, they built four large wooden bridges called viaducts. The biggest of these was the Percy Burn Viaduct. It was finished in 1923. This amazing bridge is 125 metres long and 36 metres high!
Why the Logging Stopped
Unfortunately for the company, the wood they found was not very good quality. It also cost a lot of money to cut down the trees. At the same time, wood prices were falling. This was because it became easier to transport wood from the West Coast of New Zealand.
Because of these problems, the logging operation at Port Craig quickly ran into trouble. It was stopped in 1928. This happened just when they had started cutting the most timber.
Saving the Viaduct
The Percy Burn Viaduct was closed to people in May 2013. This was because some of its wooden parts were rotting. There were also other safety worries. The Department of Conservation built a different path to go around the viaduct.
For a while, no one knew what would happen to the bridge. But in February 2014, good news arrived! The Department of Conservation and Environment Southland promised NZ$480,000 to fix it. They also planned to restore the other three viaducts on the old logging line.
The restoration work began, and the viaduct reopened in late 2018. Now, it is a safe and popular part of the Hump Ridge walking track once again.
Images for kids
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The Percy Burn Viaduct today.
