Dangerous Otira Zig Zag before the Viaduct
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- The Zig Zag was a notorious stretch of road that actually went through the middle of a scree (Landslide) that was constantly moving. They had to keep replacing this road as it was moving down the mountain. This video shows the dangerous route from Canterbury to the West Coast of New Zealand in Arthurs Pass. Driven in my Turbo charged 5-speed Holden Commodore. Amazing scenery and an amazing road that has now been bypassed by a viaduct. Home of the Kea and the toughest Alpine pass in New Zealand. This shows the height and steep country
Hi, The actual bit where this was taken is closed as it went across a moving scree and that was the main reason they built the Viaduct. The road across it was forever being replaced as it would slip too far down the scree or get damaged by falling rocks. You can go to a lookout point to see the old road and that's all. It was nicknamed the Zig Zag. I used to drive it in my truck a few times and I needed 2/3 of some of tighter corners
Was it just truck or was it a truck and trailer unit
Use to ride this road a lot on motorbikes, amazing how many cars were stopped to cool down, those turns were totally unforgiving, glad I had to experience it, people would say you don't have a licence until one has driven the Arthurs Pass Zig Zags.
That was my 1st driving lesson. Otira to Arthur's pass before the viaduct.
My mother told me they travelled along this road when it was just gravel. Very scary she said.
I bet it must have been, we used to travel to Westport through the lewis which is way bettter every year for holidays. That was shingle and scary in many areas and always careful of slips and when we looked out the car window over the narrow bits you could see all the way down.
Holden Man NZ They would travel up from Alexandra and holiday in Nelson crossing from Christchurch over to Westport via Arthur's then up to Nelson in the 60s. I went through Lewis pass a couple of years ago, definitely would've been scary on loose shingle going through there.
Not closed but around two decades ago, had major reconstruction. It's great to see this from those days. I recall travelling that road as a pre-schooler, when the road wasn't even sealed. Just gravel. I always puked. Now it's a world class road and a magnificent piece of engineering.
I wish I could try that road out now...sidenote, the Spice Girls album playing is a sign of the times there 😁
Great story :) It's so funny back in the day everything was so laid-back and relaxed. My first thought when I read it was coming from the coast it is famous for drinking. Back to the Zig Zag, it has claimed a lot of lives and sounds like you made a wise decision although one of the common mistakes on it was riding the brakes until the over heated and faded away, especially in a loaded vehicle. Mini Vans and Holiday makers were often crashing. Glad I was able to jog the memory
Where is the first part taken (the kiwi sign)
Yeah, I'm very familiar with this road and its story. I actually gave myself a driving lesson on the zig-zag. I'd been picked up hitch-hiking by an old guy who was deaf. I'd driven five times in my life for less than twenty minutes at a time. I was so freaked out by the old boys driving that I said I had to get out at Otira. He asked me if I could drive "yep", and I was off, and drove all the way to Stanmore Rd in Christchurch in his old Morris Marina. Well, he didn't ask if I had a license.
Thanks for sharing this. When was this video taken? I was involved in a car crash on one of the corners when I was 10, still remember it vividly. We were in a 1980 corolla. Such a dangerous road but what magnificent scenery!! Thanks again
I think it was Christmas 1996, I hope everyone got out ok? I recall a few very bad crashes on the old and new road and many were simply bad judgement driving too fast for the brakes, others weather and some the other person but it was and still is unique piece of Kiwi.
Hi yea it was a few years ago, it was actually a VH 1982 stationwagen and was turbo'd from brand new (pre ordered)
In 1964 our fam traveled this road it was gravel then in our vanguard dad towed countless cars up the zigzag as they couldn't make it up
This road is what caused my trust issues with anyone else driving, especially my dad 😂
It was a deadly piece of road and still is but now days the brakes don't get as hot and disappear.
At least the railway engineers had the right idea, just build a tunnel through the hill
This must of been a while ago!! What model commodore?? VL??
I remember bits of this road from when I was a kid..
-Tim PBDRC