NPDC is sprucing up Pukekura Park’s iconic Poet’s Bridge for another generation of pounding feet.

Maintenance work gets underway today (20 March) and include structural repairs to the steelwork and timber handrails, corrosion protection and a full repaint.

“We inspect all of the park’s bridges every year to make sure they’re in good condition for the hundreds of thousands of visitors the park gets every year, and at the last inspection we saw that Poet’s Bridge needs some work done on it,” says NPDC Manager Parks and Open Spaces Conrad Pattison.

“The bridge is 85 years old and gets regular maintenance – it’s a special part of Pukekura Park and we take great care of it. This work will help make sure it’s still around for future generations to enjoy.”

The works will require scaffolding and the bridge to be wrapped for safety reasons and to prevent debris going into the lake. The bridge will be closed to the public for a couple of months and the row boats won’t be available for hire during the maintenance period.

We are also doing some maintenance work on the Boat Shed Bridge, which will be closed from 12 to 18 May.

The original Poet’s Bridge opened in March 1884; the construction paid for by James T. Davis following a win on The Poet at the Auckland Races.

The bridge was replaced in 1938 with the structure that stands today, which has a similar design to the original and was painted a red inspired by the famous red-lacquered Shinkyo Bridge at Nikko, Japan.

Fast facts

• NPDC looks after 1,600ha of park and reserve land, including Pukekura Park, and 113 bridges.
• Pukekura Park has received the Green Flag award, an international mark of excellence, for the last nine years in a row.
• The 21.85ha Recreation Ground had its grand gala opening on 29 May 1876. It was renamed Pukekura Park in 1908.
• In 2004, NPDC’s purchase of 2.5ha of land from Highlands Intermediate School increased the size of Pukekura Park to its current 52ha.

© Scoop Media