Durie Hill Elevator

Durie Hill was subdivided for housing in the 1910s, and rather than cut a road up the face the council built a tunnel and a lift: you walk about two hundred metres into the hillside along a lit tunnel, then ride an elevator two hundred and thirteen feet - about sixty-five metres - up through the rock to the top. It opened in 1919 and is generally described as the only underground public elevator of its kind in the southern hemisphere, still operated as public transport with an attendant and a small fare rather than as an attraction. At the top, a short walk away, is the Durie Hill Memorial Tower, built of shellrock in the 1920s; climbing its internal spiral of about a hundred and seventy steps is free and gives a view over the city, the river and out to Ruapehu and Taranaki on a clear day. The whole thing takes an hour.

History

The contractors Maxwell and Mann began building in 1916: a 205-metre entrance tunnel, a 65.8-metre lift shaft and a 9.7-metre tower at the top, using 2,500 tons of reinforced concrete. The lift, with British-built machinery able to carry 500 passengers an hour each way, opened on 2 August 1919 (Wikipedia, Durie Hill Elevator).

What you'll find

• The tunnel - two hundred metres into the hillside to reach the lift.
• The 1919 elevator - still running as public transport, with an attendant.
• The Memorial Tower - a free climb of about 170 steps at the top.
• The two-mountain view - Ruapehu and Taranaki on a clear day.

When to go

Any season, during the elevator's operating hours - it runs on a weekday and weekend timetable that is shorter than a tourist attraction's. Clear days for the mountains.

Before you go

The elevator has set hours and closes for maintenance; check before crossing the bridge. The tunnel is enclosed and may be uncomfortable for the claustrophobic. The tower stairs are narrow and steep.

Nearby

Whanganui city and the riverfront are across the bridge; the Whanganui River Road runs north.

Key facts