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Welcome to our News section — a space for stories, updates, ideas, and inspiration from across the Morningside community and beyond. From local highlights to broader reflections, this is where we share what’s new, what’s next, and what matters.

There’s still gold in this South Island river: one Kiwi just proved it

There’s still gold in this South Island river: one Kiwi just proved it

14 July 2025

Found in a drawer The NZ war medal that just sold for $18,000

Found in a drawer: The NZ war medal that just sold for $18,000

13 July 2025

Here’s how one Christchurch family feeds 4 people for under $100 a week

Here’s how one Christchurch family feeds 4 people for under $100 a week

13 July 2025

This small NZ town has petrol 62c cheaper than Auckland — here’s why

This small NZ town has petrol 62c cheaper than Auckland — here’s why

13 July 2025

This tiny South Island town has the cheapest rent in the country – but there’s a catch

This tiny South Island town has the cheapest rent in the country – but there’s a catch

13 July 202513 July 2025

It’s official This North Island cave is closed until further notice – but no one’s told the full story

It’s official: This North Island cave is closed until further notice – but no one’s told the full story

12 July 2025

DOC has just restricted access to a sinkhole near Te Anau – but won’t say what was found

DOC has just restricted access to a sinkhole near Te Anau – but won’t say what was found

12 July 2025

The swing bridge that disappeared from DOC maps overnight – and what a former ranger thinks happened In the Southern Alps, tucked along a quiet trail near the upper reaches of the Waiau Valley, trampers have long relied on a narrow swing bridge to cross a deep, fast-moving gorge. But sometime in early May, the bridge vanished — not physically, but officially. It was removed from all Department of Conservation (DOC) maps and track descriptions overnight, with no public announcement, no alert, and no signage on the ground. Now, trampers are confused, DOC is staying quiet, and a former ranger says he has a theory. A bridge with no name — and no explanation The bridge, often referred to by locals as “The Spindle Crossing”, was installed in the early 1990s as part of an old alpine link track between two remote huts. Never part of a Great Walk, it wasn’t widely advertised — but it featured on DOC’s online maps for years and appeared in multiple backcountry route guides until very recently. Then, overnight, it disappeared from all official material. No safety notice. No closure advisory. No maintenance report. Just gone. Trampers caught off guard Several trampers who visited the valley in mid-May say the bridge was still standing, intact, and in use — though slightly weathered. Some returned the following week and found it had been roped off with no signage, and the trail leading to it was freshly overgrown. "It was as if someone wanted people to stop using it — but without telling them why," says Sam, a backcountry hiker who’s crossed the bridge multiple times. He checked DOC’s online map on his phone and found the bridge had been deleted completely. No symbol. No mention. Nothing. What a former ranger thinks happened Mark, a retired DOC ranger who worked in the region during the early 2000s, says this kind of quiet removal isn't entirely new. "It usually happens when a structure is deemed too risky to keep but too politically sensitive to announce publicly," he explains. "Especially if it’s on land under dual management or disputed stewardship." He also believes the bridge may have crossed an area under active review by local iwi — possibly due to a nearby wāhi tapu (sacred site) or a historic burial area. "Sometimes the easiest option is to let nature reclaim it and remove it from the record," Mark says. "No confrontation. No drama. Just... absence." The silence continues DOC has declined to comment, issuing only a one-line response: “The structure in question is no longer a maintained asset.” No further information has been provided. No reopening date. No mention of removal plans. Meanwhile, GPS tracks from as recently as April still include the bridge — making the absence even more conspicuous. What’s left behind The bridge remains — for now — still hanging over the gorge, swaying gently in the alpine wind. But with no maintenance and no official recognition, its future is uncertain. Some say it’s only a matter of time before DOC dismantles it entirely. Others believe it will simply be left to rot, out of sight and out of mind. One thing’s for sure: something happened out there — and no one’s talking about it.

The swing bridge that disappeared from DOC maps overnight – and what a former ranger thinks happened

11 July 2025

A new rāhui has just been placed over this bush valley – but no public reason was given

A new rāhui has just been placed over this bush valley – but no public reason was given

11 July 2025

This man-made cave near Rotorua was sealed in the 1980s – and no one knows what’s inside

This man-made cave near Rotorua was sealed in the 1980s – and no one knows what’s inside

10 July 2025

There’s a tunnel under Dunedin no one has entered in 40 years – until now

There’s a tunnel under Dunedin no one has entered in 40 years – until now

11 July 202510 July 2025

Locals say this remote track is haunted – now it’s quietly been removed from all maps

Locals say this remote track is haunted – now it’s quietly been removed from all maps

10 July 2025

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