479 days ago

Ōtira and Springfield celebrate 100 years since tunnel opening

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

Ōtira was a bustling town with about 650 people when the Ōtira Tunnel first linked the West Coast to the rest of the South Island 100 years ago.

Communities at both ends of the tunnel are celebrating its centenary on Friday.

The rail tunnel travels 8.5km through the Southern Alps and was once the seventh longest tunnel in the world, and the longest in the British Empire.

Although the rail tunnel is now only the third longest in the country, it remains an engineering marvel.

During its construction, tunnellers contended with harsh conditions, using basic tools to drive through wet shale and rock, and with the steep track required from Ōtira to Arthur’s Pass.

A committee of Ōtira residents was set up two years ago to organise a celebration to commemorate 100 years since the tunnel opened on August 4, 1923.

Read reporter Joanne Naish's full story here (subscription required).

More messages from your neighbours
3 hours ago

Riddle Alert! Who’s Up for Some Brain-Busting Fun?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

4-letter word, always done tomorrow,
We’re out of tea, the ultimate sorrow!
Without the eye, you owe me some money,
No sugar no nectar no sweetness no honey,
4-letter word, if by chance you choose,
You can never win, you can only lose!
What is the 4-letter word?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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4 days ago

Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.

When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?

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Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
  • 82.4% Yes
    82.4% Complete
  • 14.9% No
    14.9% Complete
  • 2.7% Other - I'll share below
    2.7% Complete
1608 votes
2 days ago

Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.

John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!

As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!

John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.

Share your question below now ⬇️

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