Waterfall in Arthurs Pass?

**Big Dave** · 13th December 2006, 20:40

Wazza name of the waterfalls that have been diverted over the roadway half way up to Arthur's Pass.
Doing the Roads to Ride article and boogered if i can remember.
top 10 bling on offer

**Finn** · 13th December 2006, 20:42

Devils Punchbowl or Twin Creek's

**Steam** · 13th December 2006, 20:51

It's Reid Falls.
See here http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/n...eid-falls.html
Hooray for me!

**Paul in NZ** · 13th December 2006, 20:52

Not the devils punchbowl - you have to go on a wee walk to that one.

**Big Dave** · 13th December 2006, 20:58

Mr Steam has it thanks.

**laRIKin** · 13th December 2006, 21:02

Originally Posted by Big Dave

Wazza name of the waterfalls that have been diverted over the roadway half way up to Arthur's Pass.
Doing the Roads to Ride article and boogered if i can remember.
top 10 bling on offer

Now why could you not ask this on Monday, as we went for a ride there on Tuesday and could of checked it out for you.
And I'm normally looking at the road and not reading the signs on the side of the road, so I can not help you.

**sAsLEX** · 13th December 2006, 21:09

Funny thing is all the new fancy roads have led to more accidents than the old goat track.

**ajturbo** · 13th December 2006, 21:26

Originally Posted by sAsLEX

Funny thing is all the new fancy roads have led to more accidents than the old goat track.

i loved the old road......!!

**Big Dave** · 13th December 2006, 21:37

New one is pretty impressive bit of work.

**Kickaha** · 14th December 2006, 05:34

Originally Posted by Big Dave

New one is pretty impressive bit of work.

And a damn sight steeper in real life than it looks in the photo

**TonyB** · 14th December 2006, 06:00

Hence the accidents? I reckon the smoothness of the viaduct and the fact it feels less steep than it is encourages people to go faster. I know I did the first time! By the time I had the car slowed enough to take the corners below the viaduct the brakes were just about shagged

**sAsLEX** · 14th December 2006, 07:54

Originally Posted by Kickaha

And a damn sight steeper in real life than it looks in the photo

Originally Posted by TonyB

Hence the accidents? I reckon the smoothness of the viaduct and the fact it feels less steep than it is encourages people to go faster. I know I did the first time! By the time I had the car slowed enough to take the corners below the viaduct the brakes were just about shagged

Yip. Knew a few on construction and they reckon its people sitting on the brakes the whole way down, by the time they have got to the corner the pedal is against the floor and they just dont slow down in time.

**Hitcher** · 14th December 2006, 07:54

Mrs H, the bikes and I are doing that ride in a couple of weeks time. This time from east to west. Woo hoo!

**Big Dave** · 14th December 2006, 08:31

Co-pilot and I have crossed the Southern Alps via Arthur’s Pass twice.
The First time was on a Trophy 1200 and there was 90 mm of rain in Greymouth on the day.
The second was on a Tiger 955i and we had near perfect conditions. It’s hard to say what was more spectacular.

How the massive engineering of the roadway coped with the thousands of litres per second barrelling down the mountainsides and the way the aqueducts discharged the mighty torrent into the void, and riding under and between it was an enduring memory.

So was the epic landscape towering to the clouds on the Tiger ascent.

From Greymouth follow the signs to Christchurch. Route 73 and the turnoff at Kumara Junction you are looking for.

Crossing the coastal plain the Alps soon loom in the distance and the climb to the Pass begins. Slowly at first along the base of the Taramakau River Valley until it narrows from meandering wash, kilometres wide, to a fast flowing, deep ravine and the cuttings and the steep going starts.

The climb to the Reid Falls has some great up hill 25kph peg draggers and an impressive carriageway. Wet or dry.

Then at 920mtr above sea level a huge valley opens up beyond the township of Arthur’s Pass. Even in high summer the valley was skirted by snow capped peaks in a sight that is truly awesome. I expected to be overtaken by the Riders of Rohan any second.

The road then hugs the almost vertical hillsides along the edges of the Waimakariri River as it flows towards the Canterbury Plains.

Enormous mountains of Scoria, massive rocky outcrops and some of the best sweeping bends accompany the descent as it winds around the Torlesse Range to the plains just before Springfield.

It’s one of those rides that nobody would blame you if you said: ‘Wow – let's go back and do that again.’