Dump truck ferry carries up to 100 each day across bridge-less Waiho River

Sunday, 7 April 2019

Tim Gibb is ferrying up to 30 cars and 100 people a day across the Waiho River in a dump truck after the bridge was washed away in a recent storm. (First published April 2019)

A Franz Josef man has called in some big equipment to help people get south of the West Coast town, despite the Waiho River bridge being swept away by floods.

Tim Gibb is ferrying up to 30 cars and 100 people a day across the river using a 38-tonne dump truck.

The crucial Waiho River bridge, which takes State Highway 6 across the river near the tourism-dependant town, was washed away on March 26. Work is under way on a replacement, due to be finished by April 12.

Tim Gibb has set up a ferry service across the Waiho River, which using a 38 tonne dumper as transport

Gibb, a self-employed local, said he was just trying to help out the locals who lived on the other side of the river, as well as taking the odd tourist across.

**READ MORE:

The service is taking about 30 cars and 100 people across the river each day.

* Army engineers on site to help rebuild West Coast's Waiho bridge

* South Westland bridge collapse sparks chopper taxi service and halving of room prices

Work has started on a replacement for the Waiho River bridge, due to be built by April 12.

* Waiho Bridge will take longer to reinstate than first thought**

He was trying to 'single-handedly bring the Coast economy back to life'.

Gibb said everyone in the small tourist town was 'hurting a bit' after the huge floods. The extra 100 people coming into town on the impromptu ferry were all spending money so 'everyone's pretty happy'.

Those using the service do not seem to mind the slightly bumpy ride.

'They absolutely love it, they say it's the best thing they've done on their holiday,' Gibb said.

The truck has been loaded with about 15 tonnes of gravel to level out its slanting tray. A flat deck with tie-down points has been strapped to the back to hold the cars on securely through the crossing.

Sending a car across costs $100 and passengers are $20 each, with room for up to three in the cab. Gibb said he was not covering his costs.

Gibb said the dumper was trucked down from Tru-Line Civil in Greymouth. Sending the truck down and back was the biggest cost of the whole operation.

He said the truck drove really well through the river, which was about a metre deep.

The community had been amazing in their support, Gibb said. Blakely Mining had provided a big bulldozer to put in a smooth path across the river, and the local garage at Fox had repaired a hydraulic hose free of charge to keep the truck going.