Bridge builder revisits site

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 3, 16 June 1987, Page 1

Bridge builder revisits site

A former Raetihi resident made a nostalgic journey back to the place of his youth, at the weekend. He is Doug Sandford - one of the original builders of the 'Bridge to Nowhere' that spans the Mangapurua River. Doug's father, William Herbert ('Bert') Sandford was a financial partner in the Raetihi firm 'Sandford and Brown' (the other partner being Norman Brown) bridge constructors and carpenters for the Public Works Department. In January 1935 the firm ' started work on the bridge which would give greater access to the valley for the 20 or so families of returned servicemen who were attempting to farm the slip-prone banks. Doug Sandford started work with his father at the beginning of summer that year. One of his jobs as with other bridges he had worked on, was to pump the water up from the stream and mix the concrete in a hand-operated mixer. Doug would crank the handle of the mixer from first light till dark, often doing the same job for days on end. All the workers - there were five in all - spent the.ir time in the valley in tents erected in a clearing just up-river from the bridge. They worked on a labour only system, with all building supplies coming by car from Wanganui via the Mangapurua Valley Road on a regular basis. Aggregate for the concrete was transported from the Rangitikei River and mixed on site. One hundred and thirty feet long, made of concrete and steel, the bridge took

18 months to complete - no thanks given to the unpredictable weather. Work came to a halt at the beginning of winter in 1925 when a cloud-burst washed debris from the hills, closing the road and flooding the river. A second such freak of nature, said to be worse than the first, occurred later that same year and washed bridges and some of the valley away. Needless to say, the bridge spanning the Mangapurua was still standing, but by that time the harsh environment had defeated many families and only three or four were left. Work on the bridge progressed nicely after the road re-opened. Doug helped the contractors make timber trusses for the bridge, which were painstakingly lowered from either side of the gorge and fitted perfectly! Reinforcing steel that arrived at the site in 18-

foot lengths had to be cut by hand with a hack-saw which was highly laborious. Lengths of steel were also bent into shape on site. Pouring concrete for the foundations and uprights of the bridge took several months but the workmanship of the labour is still evident today with little evidence of wear and tear. The meals of the bushmen were rough and ready - the staple diet was stew with everything in it, topped off with rice and prunes. The weekend was when the men would travel into town and for a couple of days cake would feature on the menu. The occasional wild pig or river eel added to the variety. Doug's wife stayed at the camp for three months at one time and cooked for the men. Their four-year old son also stayed for a

two-week visit. Doug Sandford, uncle to John Sandford, owner of the Waimarino Bulletin, is now 80 years old and over half a century has passed since he mixed concrete and built trusses for what is now known as the 'Bridge to Nowhere'. Now living in Dunedin, Mr Sandford made a special trip back to the bridge to recall the early days of hope in the Mangapurua Valley. He was flown in from Pipiriki by Wanganui Aero Work's helicopter. As well as having a history of bridge building and carpentry, Mr Sandford taught woodwork at the Ohakune District High School which became Ruapehu College and also at Primary School level for a period of 25 years. Mr Sandford said he was thrilled and touched to be given the chance to make the trip, for what may have been his last look at the bridge.