00:00The Opaiki-Tall Bridge is an old abandoned bridge in Opaiki, in the Ouro-Venua district
00:06of New Zealand's North Island.
00:08It stretches across the Manuatu River and was once very important for local people.
00:13But when the local flax industry collapsed and a new concrete road bridge was built nearby,
00:19the suspension bridge was no longer needed.
00:22Parts of it were taken down and today only its hanging wires remain, reminding everyone
00:27of the important role it once played in the area's economy.
00:31The Makru region, where Opaiki is located, was originally swampy land.
00:36In the late 18th century, the swamp was drained to create farmland.
00:41The lower water level turned out to be the perfect for growing flax.
00:44By 19th century, the area had over 14,500 acres of flax plants.
00:51Soon flax mills were set up along the river banks and the Makru swamp became the biggest
00:56flax growing region in New Zealand.
00:58Between 1910 and 1918, about 30 flax mills were working there, producing almost two-thirds
01:05of the country's total flax fiber.
01:08Once the flax was processed, it had to be taken across the river to the railway station
01:13at Ronyato.
01:14At first, people used a flying fox.
01:17A small platform pulled swamp across by the rope.
01:21When the river was slow, they used a cable drawn punt instead.
01:26But these methods were slow and difficult.
01:28As the industry grew, it became clear that a proper bridge was needed.
01:33In 1915, local land owners and flax investors formed the Tainham Company .
01:39They hired Joseph Dawson, a self-taught engineer, to design the bridge.
01:44Dawson had already designed several bridges in New Zealand and was known for his skills.
01:50The construction began and in 1918, the Tain Swank Bridge was opened.
01:55The bridge was 154 meters long and 3.3 meters wide.
02:00It was held by the two tall concrete towers, 14.6 meters high, with 16 strong cable running
02:07over rollers.
02:08These cables had come from the Vaya gold mines and could carry up to 50 tons of weight.
02:14The wooden deck was strong enough to hold horse-train wagons filled with flax.
02:19At the time, it was the longest suspension bridge ever built in New Zealand.
02:23The new bridge made a big difference.
02:25Flax could now be transported safely and quickly to the railway, helping the industry grow even
02:31more.
02:32But sadly, the good times did not last.
02:34By 1919, flax prices dropped heavily, falling from £70 per ton to just £28.
02:41At the same time, a plant disease called yellow leaf started spreading.
02:45By 1920, half of the flax plants were infected and the mills had to close.
02:51In 1922, the Tain Ham Company went out of the business.
02:56One of the stakeholders, Hugh Akers, brought the other shares and took over the bridge.
03:01He built a small house for a bridge keeper and started charging people a tall to cross.
03:06From then on, the Tain Swing Bridge became known as the Opaiki Tall Bridge.
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03:15Thank you very much.
