Cairnmuir Terraces - Cromwell Gorge, New Zealand

[@tonymcauliffe3083]

... memories. I was working at the Clyde Dam when ‘Hands Off’ ‘Beaumont’ was painted onto the apron beneath the terraces, in late 1995. Clyde was one of three hydro stations operated by what was then called the Clyde Hydro Group, under ECNZ’s overall organisational banner. The two other hydros operating under Clyde’s umbrella were Roxburgh, downstream of Clyde and Manapouri, on NZ’s southwestern coastline. Anyway: back to Clyde. I was playing golf on the Clyde course with my brother, who’d driven down from Queenstown. About to tee off and he said ‘What do mean “Hands Off”?’ I asked him what he meant, and he mentioned what he’d seen on his drive down the gorge that morning. From memory it was the 27th or 28th of December - peak holiday period for travellers who’d get to read whatever was painted onto the side of the gorge. I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. We drove upstream to see. And there it was - someone had painted two words, ‘Hands off’ on the apron. Thinking it was a protest about the impact of the Clyde power station (et al) at that time, I thought the two words were the protest: as in, keep your hands off the land, or something like that. But.... nope. At least, not in its entirety. A couple of nights later, the word ‘Beaumont’ was added, to compete the sentence. And at that point, it started to make sense. The protest was aimed at the (then) political and industrial thinking about constructing a new hydro power station downstream, at the mouth of the Tuapeka River which would, among other things, have flooded the township of Beaumont. From memory nobody ever really found out who performed the painting. Sure, we had our suspicions, but I don’t think any particular group or anyone in particular was ever found out as being responsible. Which in a way was disappointing, for I recall there was a sense of underlying admiration about just how well whoever had painted the words, had performed. The lettering was pitch perfect, and positioned on the apron so it kinda’ looked like it was standing upright when read from the highway on the other side of the gorge. They’d used string-lines to ensure straight lines, had accurately spaced the letters apart, remained consistent with font sizing and width (etc). It was clear that a shed load of planning had gone into how the work was performed, and I sensed a begrudging admiration of whoever it was who did it, coming from others who worked at the dam. Sure, there was the inevitable acceptance that we’d received a (figurative) bloodied nose with that protest action, yet also I sensed recognition of a ‘job well done’, if that makes any sense. And on that, I note that this footage was captured in October 2017 - so pretty much exactly 22 years after the words were placed onto the stabilisation works. The fact that you can still reasonably easily read what they say stands, IMHO, as testimony to the quality of the job. I’m tipping there aren’t too many protest actions anywhere else across NZ that have stood the test of time like this one has.

[@JimJames-d8z]

All that writing and no kint even read it😂

[@ConservatreeNZ]

Gave up watching the video after I read this comment. Cheers for the history

[@2l8mate59]

Thanks for the explanation. I was traveling along the Dunstan Trail down to the Hugo Bridge today. On the way back, I saw what looked like a mine craft setting. I figured it was for some sort of land stabilization, but I wasn't sure as I hadn't seen that setup before. It made for an interesting topic of conversation amongst my family. I embellished a few things, though, to deepen the mystery...lol...

[@Zacaryquack]

​@@JimJames-d8z don't assume everyone's an r tard like yourself who can't or is to lazy to read

[@jeffjeff1934]

Signs long since faded, I’d forgotten what it had even said

[@stelley08]

really good footage. i remember driving on the old road quite often up to cromwell and crossing the now submerged bridge... and i remember the diggers and earthmoving machines way up high on the hills above us creating the road that we drive on today

[@Krisly_Bear]

Thanks for sharing this video, drove past this last week and had no idea what was. Awesome work!

[@mrsevenfold9702]

Stunning just stunning

[@Chris.Davies]

This is the exact opposite of the reason terraces are normally built: to slow water down, and allow it to sink in! But in this case we can easily understand why: if any serious slip occured above Lake Dunstan, the resulting tsunami would kill everyone on the highway, overtop the dam, and cause huge destruction in Alexandra and downstream. Thank you for showing us in detail a part of the project I followed closely on my regular trips through the site.

[@philipkennett3181]

When I was a kid I used to ask dad what they where for and he lied told me it was for watching the jet boat racing 😂

[@malcolmmacpherson1307]

Great piece of civil engineering. I didn't realise the terrace faces were gabion baskets. Also interesting to see evidence of active land slides on the west side of the terraces. Overkill? Who knows. Would also be nice to see some data - Contact monitors this landscape, but no-one has access to the data.

[@CentraloTagoKiwi]

RIP Malcolm

[@malcolmmacpherson1307]

thank you, from Susan X @@CentraloTagoKiwi

[@tonymckeage1028]

Great Video, interesting solution to a serious problem! it does raise a serious question some of these "big" projects are the "risks" worth the returns, thanks for sharing

[@AJKPenguin]

We just missed seeing this. It was winter and the sun was setting as we arrived in Alexandra, driving north on Rt 8. Still, it was pretty to see Clyde and the dam at night.

[@paulread1166]

Thanks! Always wondered what the words read below the terracing :-)

[@jimmcpherson8117]

Very cool, thank you. Great music!

[@richardkaz2336]

We wondered what they were for. I'd have thought that the wholeside of the gorge would have been just as un stable and that one section. Seems to be contradictory. Terraces are nornally ploughed into the side of hills to slow runnoff, reduce erosion and retain water into hill side pastures and crops. I noticed in the video ~6:48 a pole with an enclosure and solar panel and wonded what they were as we saw them beside the highway at regular intervals between Queenstown and Dunedin atound Lindis Pass up to Lake Tekepo. We though the may have been speed cameras but since we never got and speeding fines came to the conclusion they may be geo monitoring stations but have found no mention of what they are.

[@richardkaz2336]

@@CentraloTagoKiwi Cheers.

[@Cailean750]

In KZbin recommended videos page. Must be KZbin’s algorithms

[@emptyal5341]

THANKYOU for explaining what these other-worldly things were. I’ve driven this way a number of times and wondered. Mind you, what a great place for a MTB trial or running race up and down the works....?

[@MichaelEnright-gk6yc]

The original egineer hired to oversea the dams construction warned about rockslides and instability could cause the dam to overtop. He was sacked because that would increase the cost of the dam to stabilize and mitigate as fault lines ran under the dam and accross the construction. The 2 lower dams proposed by the Labour govt at a cost of $250 million would not require massive remediation of slips. Also the road constructed by the contractor hadn't beened researched for slip occurances the road construction took out many toes of massive slips making them more prone to coming down. Then the dam's original cost blewout from $400 million to $2 billion. Becausr where Muldoon demanded the Dam to be built had a cross fault line the construction site so a twin dam with the worlds largest silicone dam included. The original engineer went public with his concerns and published engineering reports of the inadequacies of the project forcing the improvement of the contruction to be able to withstand earthquakes. The cost of the Dam blewout to $2.4 billion $2 billion over budget.

[@darwinbruce59]

Not a bad price. 200 billion was spent on a bloody flu, that's over budget.

[@AboveCentralOtago]

Thanks, Mick

[@Craigarmstrongfray]

The reason for these remedial works was to prevent another disaster like the Vajont Dam Disaster of 1963. My father-in-law, Peter Armstrong, was the engineer who was brought in to oversee the construction of the drainage channels and the terraces

[@Ace_life]

I have been past sooo many times and always thought, what the heck is that thing! Thanks for clearing it up! Seems a very unusal use of resources.

[@waterbourne9282]

Engineering always has an answer. God bless the engineers.

[@TheButlerNZ]

You live here.. you think you've seen most of it.. then this happens... Luckilly I had a motorbike in the 90's and saw most of the north Island on a whim... (It's 11pm.. What are we going to do.. Lets go to Palmerston Nth (from Wgtn)... It's 1am... We're in Palmy.. what shall we do... Lets go to Wanganui... The freedom I haven't had since downgrading to cars (except taking Mum in her campervan every now n then so she can see more than the road ahead...)

[@TheButlerNZ]

@@CentraloTagoKiwi Been there done that. Had 2 x 410s'

[@oldsmate]

HANDS OFF BEAUMONT

[@xr6lad]

Ahh the luddites. The same people if we had listened to in the past we would be with electricity full stop, trains lines ‘not near my place’, roads (I don’t want a road crossing my land - what do you mean we’ve run out of food because it can’t be sent in as the roads are inadequate), telephone lines or even mobile phone towers.

[@chrisgriffiths2533]

NZ, Firstly, You have to Watch Out for the Hampster Wheel Syndrome. One of the Dangers of the HWS is You do Things Purley for the Sake of doing Them. However Impressive Retaining Walls. To Me Either the Dam Should Not have been Built or More Earthworks Should have been done to Create Something Better. Interesting.

[@deahy474]

Beaumont, Queensbury and Luggate should have gone ahead

[@TheButlerNZ]

Ah that would be the Algorithm. You think your out and it pulls you back in. I have no idea why KZbin decided to recommend it... but who does... But I AM a Kiwi and have been past (and missed a unique NZ feature)... for once the algorithm got vaguely near. If only google let you tune what it does recommend.. I could finally get rid of pet videos, George Carlin and apparently as I ride MTB and publish the odd MTB video, I really need to watch people play games... sigh

[@seddy69]

same happended to me today. yesterday i was talking to my friend who has walked up to them. he was impressed. they tonight YT shows this to me. is my smartphone listening in?

[@TheButlerNZ]

@@seddy69 I've shown a few people that their phone WAS listening (by default).... The Google search bar used to install on the home screen of a lot of phones, and would kick into action if you said "Ok Google".... meaning it was constantly listening for those 2 words... sooo was listening to every word... But of course Google assured us they were not 'Listening;' and we all know Google is still that little company that had the tagline "Don't be Evil'. I had the Secretary at work talking about Dr Seus a couple of years ago.. and the next day or 2, browser adds started to suggest Dr Seus books at a local book chain... (and who reads books...)

[@Z4Zander]

The only thing I hate about my grand kids visiting is all the kids related recommends I get for the next week or so.

[@TheButlerNZ]

@@Z4Zander every time I feel weak and watch a suggested (off topic) video, I make sure i go back into History and delete the view (and any unrelated to my general watch searches..) It's funny how you can watch thousands of say 'Disc Golf' videos.. but watch one science video and 99% of the suggestions are all of a sudden 'Science' and brain dead childish crap.. and how to make a knife out of an old lawnmower... and Trump vs Biden... It's the old "All these idiots are jumping off a cliff so we think you will be interested in jumping off a cliff' algorithm (Who cares about your last years history)

[@sonnyday6830]

I have always wondered what they were, they seem black now