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canterbury: general info
· city links
· history
· things to do
· read reviews
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ARTHUR'S PASS
Calling Code: +64 3
This 924m pass, on Hwy 73 to the north-west of Christchurch, crosses the mountainous
backbone of the South Island.
The Arthur's Pass township is the HQ for the magnificent National Park which offers a variety of activities ranging from
eight-hour tramping expeditions to skiing.
The best place to appreciate it is from the top of the 2400m Mount Murchison.
Utilised initially by nomadic Maori, it wasn't until 1866, after being surveyed and named by Arthur Dobson, that the first horse drawn carts were able to access the pass providing transport and supplies for eager gold miners during the famous West Coast gold rush.
The world famous, very scenic Trans Alpine railway wasn't completed until 1926. Whilst today it's a very popular scenic tour, it was initially built to recover coal from the West Coast.
Arthur's Pass Village blends in with the majestic alpine scenery and offers a variety of activities depending on the season. The area offers numerous walks of all lengths which allow you to explore waterfalls, moss carpeted beech forests and alpine plants. Arthur's Pass, depending on the season, also offers fishing, multi sports, hunting and is surrounded by ski fields.
The recently constructed Otira Viaduct (10km west of Arthur's Pass Village) is an amazing engineering fat. The curved viaduct travels 440m down the valley, suspended over 100m above the valley floor. The road then slopes dramatically hugging the mountain cliff face, with a concrete road structure clipped to the rock face.
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