Oxenbridge Tunnel, Queenstown, Queenstown-Lakes District, Otago Region, New Zealandi

Regional Level Types
Oxenbridge Tunnel	Tunnel
Queenstown	- not defined -
Queenstown-Lakes District	District
Otago Region	Region
New Zealand	Country

Shearers Harry Redfern and Thomas Arthur are credited with being the first to discover gold in the Shotover River. They got 4 ounces in 3 hours in November 1862. It was a paltry sum, considering what others found later elsewhere in the river, although they can be credited for creating a gold rush to the area, and Thomas now has been immortalised with the name Arthurs Point at the location.

Of more interest is the perseverance or foolhardiness of the Oxenbridge brothers, and their now wildly popular Oxenbridge Tunnel. Edmund (Ned) Oxenbridge, and his brothers had the perfectly reasonable idea of blasting a tunnel at Arthurs Point to divert the Shotover River, thereby being able to access all the gold that remained in the river bed.

They began this project in 1906, but by October 1907 had only made 180 feet headway. After spending 3000 pounds of their own money, they floated a public company in 1909, with a capital of 10 000 pounds.

The tunnel was completed later in the year, but due to a calculating error was too high to drain the river. The day after the dam was completed, its purpose to back up the water through the tunnel, a flood hit washing away the dam. Gelignite blasted the cliff away, blocking the tunnel, so work could proceed in deepening it. The dam was rebuilt. However back water was still a problem, and the pumps could not cope.

They then decided to sink a shaft and tunnel under the river, however water flooded the workings. The project was abandoned. In todays money they had spent NZ$530 000 of their own money, NZ$1.78 million of other peoples money through the public company, and had obtained NZ$48 000 worth of gold.

This should have been the end of the matter, but it was not to be. In 1925 the Shotover Gold Claims company proposed to resurrect the scheme, with Ned Oxenbridge as a 'senior partner'. A prospectus was issued, raising 9000 pounds in capital. F.J. Williams was mining engineer. The prospectus stated trial panning had revealed 'a richness that is almost incredible'. Three years later the tunnel is still not complete, and the company was liquidated in 1930.

Despite being too low to drain the river, the tunnel is perfect for rafting. After coping with the rapids in the Shotover Gorge, rafting tour groups get sucked through at speed from one end of the dark tunnel to the other. If you have time whilst wizzing past, there is a very photographic steam engine on the banks of the river. The Morning Star Beach Reserve provides a pleasant wander along the river, with interpretative panels, from the jet boat/rafting tourism complex nearby.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality