MAGIC ABROAD IN THE AIR

Full steam ahead

Construction of Nga Awa Purua, the second power station on the Rotokawa geothermal resource north of Taupo, has just been completed. Contractor reviews its unique design and construction.

Seal of approval

We should give a collective thumbs-up to the nation’s premier state highway finally being sealed from end to end. Completion of the last few kilometres to Cape Reinga was United Civil Construction’s biggest ever project, and the company has done the job in style.

A lesson in small hydro

A scheme that revitalised an abandoned 250-kW hydro scheme on the Onekaka River can thank a small group of enthusiasts who battled today’s environmental red tape nightmare to become investors in valuable renewable electricity.

Crown land already protected

While there is strong concern over opening Schedule 4 land to mining, there is little public awareness of the current protections against adverse and potentially negative impacts of such activities.

Fire on the mountain

Removing debris and replacing a skifield café and groomer shed destroyed by an arsonist high up Mt Ruapehu is a long and costly project that is testing men and machines.

Ocean imagery

The spectacular new bridge on New Plymouth’s coastal walkway looks from one angle like the bleached skeleton of a whale, and from another, evokes the image of a breaking wave.

Unto the breach once more

We are a country obsessed with its overseas image. As we declare ourselves a leader on ‘climate change’, Alan Titchall recounts the number of times we have rushed to the frontline in world conflicts to do more than our fair share.

Between a rock and a dark place

Steve Lowe visits the Chatham Islands to review the community’s generation and discovered the country’s highest electricity bills and a desperate bid to improve security of supply and keep residents from leaving.

Trains, cars and whitebait

A unique set of challenges faced the builders of a new bridge on the West Coast. Hugh de Lacy examines how they did it.

Multi million dollar dream

A technically challenging kilometre-long rail trench and station, and improvements to surrounding roads and streetscapes, are paving the way for New Lynn to develop into one of the most vibrant suburbs in Auckland.

A quarry came with it

Can a quarry open with a non-notified resource consent? Yes, it can happen, as Hugh de Lacy explains.

Gold by the bucket

Dredging was New Zealand’s greatest contribution to gold mining technology, and it continues today on the Grey River.

When the rain comes

The Stockton open pit mining operation is not only the largest in New Zealand but it has a unique problem – coping with a whopping seven metres of rainfall most years and a neighbouring native reserve below its slopes.

A truly golden jubilee

A lustrous cluster of professional awards has given consultancy Tonkin & Taylor something exciting to celebrate in its 50th anniversary year. It’s a success that can be traced back to the ethics and drive of the company’s founders.

High density challenges

It’s taking four years to build a motorway extension just 4.5 kilometres long. But just look at what’s involved. It’s an example of how complex the answers to Auckland’s traffic problems can be.

Huge grid upgrade opportunity

What has been described as the probably the biggest infrastructure project undertaken in New Zealand was announced recently from a suitably lofty height – the 28th floor of the Lumley Centre in Auckland’s inner city.

Ruby Bay: A gem of a project

On the books since the late 1990s, and suspended in 2002, the Ruby Bay bypass is at last underway.

Slip sliding away

After failing during heavy rain in July last year, a notoriously unstable stretch of State Highway 35 north of Gisborne has finally received a solid solution.

Strength, grace and economy

It’s the first bridge of its type built in New Zealand, and it saved a bundle of dollars on a conventional structure.

Taking the traffic out of Taupo

Fulton Hogan adopts a three-zone approach to building a 16 kilometre State Highway 1 bypass of the lakeside holiday resort, which will feature an unusual bridge and flyover.

Cliff top challenge

The Ohope Escarpment Drainage project was a small but technically challenging project that required an innovative and collaborative approach to solve a long-standing problem of slope stability.

Engineering excellence

Michel Virlogeux had a simple message for the Austroads Bridge conference: Bridge design is the realm of the engineer and should not be given to architects.