Otira
Encyclopedia : O : OT : OTI : Otira
- Otira is also a genus of spiders (Amaurobiidae)
Otira is a small township seven kilometres north of Arthur's Pass in the central South Island of New Zealand. It lies on the western approach to the pass, which is in a saddle between the Otira and Bealey Rivers high in the Southern Alps.
It was originally a stop on the Cobb and Co stagecoach from Canterbury to the West Coast. The railway line was then built from Greymouth to Otira, with the pass itself still navigated by coach, until the railway tunnel was opened. The township is principally old Railways housing, much of which was constructed in Hamilton and shipped south to be reassembled on site.
Close to the town are two major feats of civil engineering: the Otira Tunnel, and the Otira Viaduct.
Otira Viaduct
Above the town is the Otira Viaduct. Completed in 1999, it spans a 440 metre stretch of unstable land, replacing a narrow, winding road that was constantly prone to avalanches and slips.References
The TranzAlpine passenger train stops: (Midland line) |
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| Christchurch | Rolleston | Darfield | Cass | Springfield | Arthur's Pass | Otira | Jacksons | Moana | Brunner | Greymouth | |
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