Te Rewa Rewa Bridge

Te Rewa Rewa opened in 2010 across the Waiwhakaiho River as part of New Plymouth's Coastal Walkway, and its shape is deliberate: a curved deck under a leaning arch with ribs fanning out from it, described variously as a whale skeleton and a breaking wave, designed with Ngati Tawhirikura whose land it crosses. The alignment is the part that makes it famous - stand at the eastern end and the ribs frame Mount Taranaki dead centre, which on a clear day produces the photograph that has become the region's signature image. The mountain is in cloud a great deal of the time, so the shot is a matter of luck as much as timing. The bridge sits on the thirteen-kilometre Coastal Walkway that runs from Bell Block to Port Taranaki, flat and sealed the whole way, walked and cycled constantly by locals. There is no vehicle access to the bridge itself.

What you actually see

• The framed mountain - Taranaki centred between the ribs, on clear days.
• The arch and ribs - the whale-skeleton form over the curved deck.
• The Coastal Walkway - thirteen flat sealed kilometres through it.
• The river mouth - the Waiwhakaiho meeting the sea below.

When to go

Any season, on a clear day - the mountain is hidden more often than not. Sunrise and sunset give the best light on the ribs.

Honest expectations

Taranaki is in cloud a large share of the time and the famous photograph simply is not available then. There is no parking at the bridge itself; you walk or cycle in. It is exposed to coastal wind.

Nearby

New Plymouth city and Pukekura Park are west; the Coastal Walkway runs both ways.