History of the Bridge to Nowhere
The Bridge to Nowhere is a memorial to men, women and children of the Mangapurua Valley - among New Zealand's hardiest pioneers.
Visiting this area known as "The Valley of Abandoned Dreams" will give you an appreciation of the battles and hardships these families endured, in their endeavours to create a farming livelihood in this harsh environment.
Opened in 1917 as one of the Governments land settlement schemes for Returned Service men, 35 holdings were eventually developed into farms which were marginal at best.
The Bridge to Nowhere was built in 1935, and was intended to be the link between the Central North Island and Taranaki's route to the coast. Ironically enough, the first of the Mangapurua settlers to leave the Valley had abandoned their holdings by the time the Bridge was constructed.
We are constantly amazed at the number of people who come with us, who have an association with the Mangapurua Valley, be it through relatives who were settlers, or perhaps neighbours, and the stories that have been told to them of this fascinating area. We love hearing different perspectives on life in the valley.
And then of course there are those of you who simply have to see this concrete structure nestled in the native bush - just so you can believe it!
Interesting Snippet - The Bridge to Nowhere was originally named Morgan's Bridge, after the settlers who farmed close by. It wasn't until 1977 that local jet boat tourism operator Eric Hammond came up with the befitting title "The Bridge to Nowhere".
