Poolburn Bridge

Poolburn, Central Otago

Code: NZOPV

The Central Otago Rail Trail crosses the 37-metre high Poolburn Viaduct, rated among the higher railway viaducts in New Zealand.

Its massive piers as well as entrance facings to the gorge's two tunnels are of local schist rock, hand-shaped by stonemasons using basic tools – mallets and chisels. The chisel marks are still apparent. Through the gorge, much of the trail is atop enormous embankments built by teams of men with little more than picks, shovels, wheelbarrows and horse-drawn tip-drays.