Gates of Haast
The Gates of Haast is a gorge on the Haast River in Mount Aspiring National Park in the South Island of New Zealand. It is located inland by road from the township of Haast and from the summit of Haast Pass. The Gates of Haast has sheer rock cliffs above a steep cascade in the Haast River. State Highway 6 crosses the gorge on a single-lane Callender-Hamilton steel truss bridge. History The Haast Pass was a route used by Maori in pre-European times. In 1863, the route was used by the explorer and geologist Julius von Haast along with Charles Cameron. By 1880, a packhorse track had been constructed over the pass; however, work to form a road across the pass did not start until 1929 when work began at Lake Hãwea. A further phase commenced from the east at Makarora in 1936, and proceeded as far as the Gates of Haast, but was then halted for several years because of diversion of resources to the Second World War. Further work on the western side of the Gates of Haast did not begin again until 1946. Progress was slow, and by 1955, there was still 10 miles of roadway to