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.
Not giving a reason runs the risk of people speculating needlessly about the reason and inventing stories about the reason leading to people putting their lives – and the lives of others – at risk by going into the area, off known tracks to find whatever it is.
Alas, its a ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation’ because whether you give an explanation or not, people will go there even if you surround it with s chain link fence.