Albert Park Air Raid Shelter Tunnels

[@BRILIANT660]

Hello friend good afternoon Thank you for great sharing Greatting from new friend Full watched

[@gaius_enceladus]

All of these tunnels - the ones in North Head and these ones - should be repaired and opened up to the public! They would make great tourist attractions and they're part of our history.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

Did you miss the part where they put 8.8 million UNFIRED clay bricks in there?. That is 18 million kgs of clay that would need to be removed. Clay which will certainly have become crumbly if not completely wet. Do you understand what moving that would entail?.

[@lambert2969]

Been into these tunnels back in the 90s back then there was a small hole in the wall at the Constitution hill entrance. The blast suppression area was intact then and not filled up with clay bricks, it was full of rusty metal, perhaps old bunk beds or seating. The unfired bricks that had been used to fill the tunnel formed a muddy slippery mess that we had to belly crawl over. There were large chunks of original roof that had collapsed and it was pretty hard going. We made it a good way along that tunnel, before the consensus was that it was too dodgy to continue as the crawl space became narrower due to collapse. I regret not finishing the adventure but didn't wish to do it on my own.

[@theloungeking]

I went in the same entrance in the early 2000s. It was a muddy crawl. I doubt we made it further than you.

[@lambert2969]

@@theloungeking I didn't realize it stayed open for so long. Ever met anyone who made it through?

[@spil030]

In about 2008/2009 I met a speleologist working as a geology technician at Auckland Uni who had been the furtherest and helped test the safety of things

[@lambert2969]

@@spil030 I think I know who you're talking about, I won't name names. Having done geology at Auckland university and being a member of the Auckland speleological society and having crawled through my fair share of limestone caves.

[@supernovahm1178]

​@@lambert2969 why do kiwis all feel this intense desire to list their qualitifactions professional or otherwise? as a specialist in online social media platforms sharing video from american cdn's and with primarily red logos featuring the classic triangular 'play' symbol, I find it strange

[@ArmitageRosy]

Finally a little more on this. And tunnels in Grafton Gully 👍

[@shiftyshrimp5930]

This is super interesting, I had no idea these tunnels existed!

[@bridgetcat1]

Thanks for this Scott - Really interesting - I have now subscribed and liked - Have you ever been to the cave/tunnel before Mission Bay ?? - Thanks again - Bridget from Eden Terrace

[@spil030]

No! I haven't! Where abouts is it near Mission Bay? Under the memorial, near Kelly Tarltons, or on the other side?

[@bridgetcat1]

@@spil030 HI Scott - Basically you park in the car park of the Tamaki Yacht club - Get out of your car and look directly across the road and among the trees in the side of the hill. NOW scan your eyes until you see a small hole in the side of the hill. It's a cave. When you see the opening of the cave that's where you start. Climb up toward the cave. It's a bit tricky to climb but you look fit. It's not a big climb. Just a little deceptive. The cave entrance looks small but it opens up and you can stand up very easy in it. Follow the cave into the tunnel and it runs into the back into another section. Me and my dad did it and he's in his 60's. Good luck and if you need any more information please let me know

[@genefidz2426]

My mates and I used to muck around up in that cave when we were teens. Great days….

[@nolsoth]

The AAG one was more likely a tailings tunnel that was backfilled after construction ( they did the same with stoney batter gun emplacements and funnily enough it was mostly the same men who built both complexes), during redevelopment of the gallery the council carried out extensive searches for the entrance as there was some engineering concerns with the earthworks at the gallery potentially breaking into the tunnel network, they found no signs of marked tunnel, but it was assumed that it could have been a tailings tunnel or a planed entrance that never eventuated. The plans were incredibly interesting to go over.

[@jamesdaley682]

Like the military music. I remember the slit trenches at Remuera primary school in the 50s

[@spil030]

The music is a recording by the US Marine Band from the 1920s! It's a little early for this period, but I thought it kept in well with what we were talking about. I've only ever seen pictures of the slit trenches, but I can't say they looked too comfortable!

[@jeremyashford2145]

At a time when the Albert tunnels could have been used to create a transport hub connecting the existing Auckland Railway station to the CBD they were given to control of a private developer to become some sort of theme park. Meantime an underwater site was chosen downtown and a huge whole was dug. That resulted in a massive power blackout the cause of which quickly disappeared from the news as politicians and bureaucrats covered their arses. Now the "old" railway station has been repurposed as a slum. And some people made a boat load of money. Ahhh! History.

[@bridgetcat1]

Hi Scott - update on the info I gave you re: Cave / Tunnel Tamaki Drive - I was parked up today and looked up toward the Cave entrance but you can't see it now as the trees/bush has overgrown so it's hidden - Also my friend who was with me said the Cave entrance has been sealed by a metal grill. I can't be sure BUT I DO remember telling my dad that the Council would eventually seal it off as it could become a safety risk. The Cave/ Tunnel itself is safe as because it's well constructed out of stone and cement but you wouldn't want to fall over and suffer an injury in there unless there are 2 of you. Anyway you should climb under the trees and check it out just the same - Best Wishes - Bridget

[@MasterChief37]

When I was young and stupid my girlfriend and I explored that tunnel, it didn’t go back very far, it was difficult to find even then. It had a nice view from the entrance. I was told it was originally connected to the tunnels which were repurposed for the Savage Memorial. I don’t know how correct this is.

[@bridgetcat1]

@@MasterChief37 That's exactly right about that cave / tunnel. It goes back only a little way but I was so surprised how you could easily stand up inside and wander to the tunnel. I am wrong about it being closed up. I passed there yesterday and while the tree vegetation has grown it's still possible to see the cave entrance and climb up into the cave.

[@emilyquelch5049]

Please say where I can locate this

[@bingonamo7520]

Interesting. Love the t-shirt! 👕🗿

[@tclanjtopsom4846]

Damm, i thought it was albert park in Melbourne. Bloody cousin's ripped me off😂😂😂

[@user-hn9wu2zt1r]

Birkenhead army base is a no go area also.

[@satosuguoverlord69]

oh that's pretty coo,l I had no idea that existed!

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

My dad and his cousins worked in the "factory" that made the bricks. They were slightly smaller than a hollow-stone block, and loaded into the tunnel off the back of trucks. And, according to him, there are a LOT of places that were left unfilled, because the Ministry of Works had a deadline and fell behind, so they cheated.

[@furionkiwi]

Another place to look is in Whangarei... End of Banff Street is a cave... possibly man made... I found it when i was a kid.....

[@kaylatrye5318]

Do you have any further info on this, is it in the reserve?

[@akhilnandhramesh6029]

At the bottom of the constitution hill near beach road. , there is a steel door next to a waste water pumping station. Wikipedia says this is the entrance to the tunnel. However you make no mention of it. Would you be able to comment on this fact ?

[@spil030]

I do make mention of it. I did a whole piece on it, and the cover image for the video is taken there. The door is now overgrown so you can't easily see it. I got as close as I could through the trees and recorded from there.

[@akhilnandhramesh6029]

@@spil030 ah okay. There is another steel door at the bottom of the hill next to the waste water pumping st station, this apparently houses the pumping equipments. I actually thought this steel door of the pumping station belongs to the tunnel and the front portion of the tunnel was used for housing the waste water pumps.

[@spil030]

No, the tunnel door is further back. It's a vertical door into the cliff wall. I've visited it before, and that's how spelunkers have gotten in before. But by the time I filmed for the video it had been grown over.

[@akhilnandhramesh6029]

@@spil030 yes it is fully covered and there is no way we can see the walls unless we get into the vegetation.

[@LeonardSamuels75]

So why did they destroy it all?

[@genefidz2426]

Sounds like because it was already starting to collapse just a few years later

[@spil030]

Cost? It sounds like it wasn't likely to stay long and the maintenance wouldn't been a cost they couldn't afford perhaps

[@01orNone]

U probably heard. But looks like it's going to open it up for Walkway and cycling Even better there be stores. I'll love to see the end result. Saw it on news hub.

[@spil030]

Yeah, the idea keeps floating back up. If we ever get to go inside I'll do a follow up!

[@MasterChief37]

It will cost a fortune to re-line and make it safe for people to use. I don’t think it will ever happen.

[@ReptileAssylum]

No.they are thousands of years old like Auckland war memorial museum. The entire narrative is occult BS.

[@spil030]

Not sure what narrative you're referring to or what "they" are!

[@BobBarker-ky6fi]

I been inside the tunnels under the high court with my mate Phil we were riding out bikes and s tree had come from storm and I could see a way in as I knew of them so in we went we got to the tunnel up to government house and turned back we were on top of the unfired bricks and it was scary as torches but nobody knew we were in there so we went back it's twin tunnels had train tracks

[@BobBarker-ky6fi]

The last dates we read were 1984 we were there like 94

[@BobBarker-ky6fi]

Street kids used to live in them there's more around NZ Welly devonprt etc