Orari Bridge

Last updated

Orari Bridge is a small settlement north of Geraldine, New Zealand on the south side of the Orari River. The Orari Bridge is located several kilometers upstream of the township of Orari on State Highway 79. Where the road crosses the river there is a one-laned bridge which is often subject to congestion. [1] The Geraldine Community Board has appealed for the bridge to be converted from a one lane bridge to a two lane to minimize congestion and improve safety. The New Zealand Transport Agency has yet to commit funds to enable this to happen. [2] In December 2019, calls continue for the bridge to be converged to a two lane bridge urgently. [3] Two people sustained moderate injuries in a crash on the bridge in July 2020. [4] The National Party in September 2020 said that they would commit to converted the Orari Bridge to a two lane structure. [5]

Contents

A nearby popular mountain bike track meets the bridge at Orari Bridge. [6]

Buildings

Orari Bridge School

The Orari Bridge School was opened in 1881 using half of the remaining building from the nearby closed Waihi Bush School. [7] The school was burned down in 1905 but rebuilt. [7] The school closed permanently in 1996. [8] It is now home to a holiday park.

Orari Bridge Hall

The light green Orari Bridge Hall was a notable landmark for motorists driving on State Highway 79. The hall was constructed in 1922 to serve the various needs of the community. [9] The hall was put up for sale in 2009 [9] and a recently constructed private residence is now situated on the halls previous location.

Reference List

  1. ↑ Quinlivan, Mark (2 April 2018). "Holiday traffic banks up through South Canterbury as people return from Ed Sheeran, Warbirds". The Timaru Herald.
  2. ↑ "Lack of funds halts improvements to Upper Orari Passing Bay bridge". Stuff. 2019-09-11. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  3. ↑ "Timaru District mayor calls for urgent double-laning of Upper Orari Bridge". Stuff. 2019-12-11. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  4. ↑ "Two taken to hospital following crash on Orari Bridge near Geraldine". Stuff. 2020-07-19. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  5. ↑ Hudson, Daisy (2020-09-14). "National promises $140m in transport projects for South". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 2020-10-12.
  6. ↑ "Lions And E-Can Team Up To Create Cycle Trail". multisport.net.nz. 12 November 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 Bell, Carol (July–August 2016). "NZ Society of Genealogists South Canterbury Branch Newsletter" (PDF). NZ Society of Genealogists South Canterbury Branch.
  8. ↑ Upston, Alan (12 January 1996). "Notice Number 1996-go396". New Zealand Gazette. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  9. 1 2 "Historic Orari Bridge Hall put up for sale". The Timaru Herald. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2018.

Related Research Articles

Canterbury, New Zealand Region of New Zealand

Canterbury is a region of New Zealand, located in the central-eastern South Island. The region covers an area of 44,508 square kilometres (17,185 sq mi), and is home to a population of 645,900.

Ashburton, New Zealand Secondary urban area in Canterbury, New Zealand

Ashburton is a large town in the Canterbury Region, on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The town is the seat of the Ashburton District. It is 85 kilometres (53 mi) south west of Christchurch and is sometimes regarded as a satellite town of Christchurch.

Timaru City in Canterbury, New Zealand

Timaru is a port city in the southern Canterbury region of New Zealand, located 157 kilometres (98 mi) southwest of Christchurch and about 196 kilometres (122 mi) northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to 28,700 people, and is the largest urban area in South Canterbury, and the second largest in the Canterbury Region overall, after Christchurch. The town is the seat of the Timaru District, which includes the surrounding rural area and the towns of Geraldine, Pleasant Point and Temuka, which combined have a total population of 48,400.

Geraldine, New Zealand Town in Canterbury, New Zealand

Geraldine is a town in the Canterbury region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 140 km south of Christchurch, and inland from Timaru, which is 35 km to the south. Geraldine is located on State Highway 79 between the Orari and Hae Hae Te Moana Rivers.

Fairlie, New Zealand town in Canterbury, New Zealand

Fairlie is a Mackenzie District service town located in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. As of the 2013 census, the population was 717. Being on state highway 8 between Christchurch and Queenstown, tourism is fast becoming a major industry within the town. Kimbell is 8 km west of Fairlie via state highway 8. Geraldine is 45 km east via state highway 79 and Timaru is 58 km southeast of Fairlie via state highway 8.

Rolleston, New Zealand Town in South Island, New Zealand

Rolleston is the seat and largest town in the Selwyn District, in the Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island. It is located on the Canterbury Plains 22 kilometres (14 mi) south-west of Christchurch, and is considered a satellite town of the city. The town has a population of 21,900, making it New Zealand's 26th largest urban area. It was nicknamed the "Town of the Future" in the 1970s by Prime Minister Norman Kirk. The "Town of the Future" signage has since been removed from the entrances to Rolleston.

State Highway 1 (New Zealand) Road in New Zealand

State Highway 1 is the longest and most significant road in the New Zealand road network, running the length of both main islands. It appears on road maps as SH 1 and on road signs as a white number 1 on a red shield, but it has the official designations SH 1N in the North Island, SH 1S in the South Island.

The South Canterbury Rugby Football Union (SCRFU) is a rugby province based in the central South Island city of Timaru, New Zealand. The South Canterbury team play from Alpine Energy Stadium located in Timaru.

Peel Forest is a small community in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. It is located near the Peel Forest Park Scenic Reserve and about 23 kilometres (14 mi) north of Geraldine. The town features a Cafe & Bar, a camping ground and an outdoor recreation facility. Popular activities include camping and tramping in the area, rafting and kayaking on the nearby Rangitata and Orari rivers and four-wheel-drive tours to nearby Lord of the Rings film locations.

Timaru District Territorial authority in South Island, New Zealand

Timaru District is a local government district in New Zealand's South Island administered by the Timaru District Council. It is part of the larger Canterbury region.

Allan Hubbard (businessman)

Allan James Hubbard, QSO was a businessman who lived in Timaru in the South Island of New Zealand and was the founder of South Canterbury Finance, New Zealand's largest locally owned finance company. In 2006, the New Zealand Listener described Hubbard as the most powerful businessman in the South Island.

State Highway 79 (SH 79) is a New Zealand state highway connecting the South Canterbury communities of Rangitata, Geraldine, and Fairlie. Starting at State Highway 1 the highway is 61 kilometres in length and runs in a general east-west direction. 6.3 km of the highway through Geraldine runs concurrently with the Inland Scenic Route, formerly State Highway 72. The road is a two-lane single carriageway, with a one-lane bridge crossing the Orari River.

Charles George Tripp

Charles George Tripp was a pioneering sheep farmer in South Canterbury, New Zealand. Together with his friend and business partner John Acland, he was the first to use the Canterbury high country for sheep farming.

Waimate Town in New Zealand

Waimate is a town in Canterbury, New Zealand and the seat of Waimate District. It is situated just inland from the eastern coast of the South Island. The town is reached via a short detour west when travelling on State Highway One, the main North/South road. Waimate is 45.7 km south of Timaru, Canterbury's second city, 20 km north of the Waitaki River, which forms the border between Canterbury and the Otago province to the south and 47.5 km north of Oamaru, the main town of the Waitaki District.

Woodbury is a small township in the Canterbury Region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) inland from Geraldine and is the gateway to the nearby Waihi and Orari River Gorges and the Four Peaks. The township is home to various small local businesses.

Pleasant Valley is a small locality near the town of Geraldine in the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand. The area is boarded by the Geraldine Downs to the north and Gapes Valley to the south. The Hae Hae Te Moana River runs through the valley.

Kakahu is a locality in the Canterbury region in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located about 22 kilometers (13.6 mi) west of Geraldine. It is well known for its rich historical and geological history.

Izone is an industrial suburb of Rolleston in Selwyn District, Canterbury Region, New Zealand.

Henry John Sealy was a New Zealand surveyor and farmer.

Waimataitai is a suburb of Timaru, in the South Canterbury district and Canterbury region of New Zealand's South Island.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.