Just 300 metres to the End

I spent a wonderful day with another blip member Flying. We had lunch in Summer followed by drive to New Brighton seeing it was such beautiful Autumn's day.

The New Brighton Pier was officially opened on 1 November 1997, on the site of the original New Brighton Pier which had been demolished more than 30 years previously. It is the biggest ocean pier in Australasia. I remember as a child seeing the original one and it great to this new one it's place seeing the other one was beyond repair.

In 1894 the first New Brighton Pier was opened and for the next 70 years it provided the citizens of Christchurch with a recreational destination in the traditional British style. Along the way the pier had a “penny arcade” full of games and amusements and even a nightclub, the Shoreline, at the shore end. The pier complemented New Brighton’s role as a favourite seaside outing and, for many years, as the only place where you could shop on Saturdays.

The original pier was built of wood. Original grand designs were for the pier to be 600ft long with a 100ft octagon at the end. Rising from this was to be a large pavilion with a landing stage for use at high or low water. The whole was to be protected by a double breakwater. The first pile was driven in 1891 and the completed pier was opened on January 18, 1894 by the Governor General, Lord Glasgow, in the presence of large crowds who travelled to the beach by special trams.

By 1965, the pier had become so run down that the council ordered that it be demolished. On the night of October 12, between 2.30am and 7am workmen from Ryan Brothers, using a bulldozer, demolished the pier, starting at high tide and following the tide out. About 100 20 ft piles were winched out or cut off 18 inches below ground level.

Taken from and for more information on the pier.