Lindis Pass to Clyde
The journey from Canterbury and Lindis Pass via State highway 8 traverses the eastern side of the Upper Clutha Valley and has the following highlights in the Lake Dunstan / Cromwell / Clyde area.
State Highway 8
In the 1970’s the rather tortuous Lindis Pass highway from Omarama was significantly upgraded for reasons relating to the construction of the Clyde Dam. Although the improvements are widely appreciated, the highway can still become dangerous with frost and snow conditions in the winter months. Care must be taken.
The small township of Tarras introduces the traveller to the Cromwell District. This rural service centre is becoming more tourist-oriented with buses stopping to allow passengers a rest before or after the Lindis Pass trip. Although the past emphasis in this area was on farming of merino sheep and cattle, the land use possibilities are expanding and include alternative crops and vineyards.
Passing the road to Wanaka (State highway 8A), the Lindis River is crossed on a somewhat awkward single lane bridge. The original bridge was lost to flooding in the early 1970's. Flows in the river vary considerably and depend on the amount of upstream extraction by irrigation needs.
The Bendigo Loop Road presents an interesting diversion from the State highway, with access to the historic Bendigo goldfields being gained along a dusty metalled road. On the southern leg of the Loop Road, large scale plantings of grapes has been undertaken in land pockets that use the areas suitable microclimates.
Opposite the Bendigo Station entranceway, the head of Lake Dunstan is visible as is the Bendigo wetlands area. This area preserves the previous riverine environment that was part of the Clutha River system, and now protects various wildlife and ecosystems.
From Bendigo Loop Road the State highway has been reconstructed at a higher level to allow for Lake Dunstan. As part of the recreational development of the area, several picnic areas, toilets, boat ramps and large scale landscape plantings were provided. The lakeshore between Bendigo and Cromwell has developed into a very popular recreational resource used by visitors and residents alike.
Picnic areas include: Rocky Point, Bendigo, Crippletown, Devil's Creek, John Bull's Creek and Northburn.
At Northburn, a small subdivision marks the location where the previous road crossed over to Lowburn via the concrete Lowburn Bridge. That bridge (now under water) was locally known as the longest bridge in the country as it had a 'hump' in the middle and travellers couldn't see the other end. Also at Northburn is a small vineyard that is the start of what is an extensive area of grape growing on a terrace slope overlooking the lake. ‘The Shed’ is a new wine tasting and small conference centre based on the Northburn vineyard.
From Northburn, the Cromwell lakeshore becomes increasingly visible with large buildings such as the Golden Gate Lodge, Freeway Orchard and Alpine Gold's juice factory. The Deadman's Point Bridge and Cromwell have been previously discussed. State highway 8B links with State highway 6 via Cromwell.
Passing the SH8/SH8B intersection, travellers obtain good views of the Cromwell lakeshore. At the Junction of the Clutha and Kawarau Arms of Lake Dunstan is the Jackson Lookout. Good views of the lake and Cromwell are available, as is a short, but strenuous, walk up to the Old Reservoir.
The reconstructed Cromwell Gorge highway involved a huge engineering effort and is now a first class highway. Before the Clyde Dam, the railway traversed the gorge with its terminus at the Clutha Cabins vicinity. Many of the large scale landslide stabilisation projects such as rock buttresses, tunnels and pumping stations are clearly visible.
Just past the Jackson lookout, is Clutha Cabins, the site of a previous small camp ground, brewery, and rabbit factory. At Brewery Creek, a stopping area and monument commemorates the start of the 'Dunstan Gold Rush' in August 1862.
The old Cromwell (Dunstan) Gorge was noted for its apricot orchards but these have all gone apart from a few trees in a recreation area at Jacksons. Other recreation areas in the gorge are located at Champagne Gully and Diary Creek... both have public toilet facilities.
A couple of kilometres south of Clutha Cabins is a impressive engineering project located on the opposite side of the lake from the highway. This is the Cairnmuir Slide and forms part of the $400M Cromwell Gorge landslide stabilization works. Further details are:
Cairnmuir Slide
Cairnmuir Slide
A considerable amount of engineering work was carried out within the Cromwell Gorge to ensure the stability of the hillsides which border Lake Dunstan, behind the Clyde Dam. Much of the work involved drainage tunnels and toe buttressing. At the Cairnmuir Slide, the design involved building a series of terraces, high above Lake Dunstan, to prevent rainwater infiltrating the slip and destabilising it.
Commissioned by Clyde Power Project, the $10 million stabilisation project was undertaken by Fulton Hogan Ltd using a 100 strong workforce, took eight months, and was finished in 1994.
Fifteen terraces were built by filling wire-mesh baskets with rubble excavated from the steep hillside. The tops of the terraces were sealed with plastic membranes and a flexible polymer - modified bitumen mix. Adjacent gullies were lined with concrete and drains installed to take water away from the slip as quickly as possible.
Fulton Hogan Ltd won a prestigious Caltex sponsored construction award for the project.
Further Information:
- An extensive booklet - "The Cromwell Gorge. An Historical Guide" is available free from the Cromwell Information Centre.