Old Rustic Bridge (as it was called) was a historic bridge that spanned the Wainuiomata River along what is now Reservoir Road and close to the Morton Dam. It was a popular site for photography and likely a favoured fishing spot.
While a bridge exists on Reservoir Road today in the same location, it doesn’t bear the same name. The modern bridge, situated downriver from Morton Dam, stands about 10 metres above the water, whereas the original log bridge was around 2 metres above the river, which formed part of the track to Solomons Knob (not to be confused with Solomon Track). The track to Solomons Knob can be seen in some of the old bridge photos in the gallery below.
The bridge was washed away by a flood in 1904, and by around 1921 it was being referred to as the new bridge. We also know a new bridge was constructed in 1969 with photos of this bridge in the gallery below.
