Building of the Airfield,
preparation of the Wharf Area
and Improvement of the Road on Kaikoura Island
(April to October, 1997)
Photos of these activities have
generously been made available by Alan & Sue Gray of Awana, Great Barrier
Island.
In 1997, the then owner of Kaikoura
Island, Don Fasher, contracted Renton Foote to construct an airfield on
Kaikoura Island, improve the wharf area, and upgrade the road from the wharf
to the airfield.
Machinery was first landed by the
Subritsky Shipping Company's motorised barge ‘Tasman’ in early April 1997.
Alan Gray’s involvement from mid-April to 17th October 1997 came
when Renton Foote asked him to help out using his blasting ticket and skills.
A lull in activity around June and July was to prevent run-off problems. By
about the end of October 1997, the job was finished. Prior to this airfield,
there was a rough top-dressing strip that had been made some years before by
Laurie Turner.
Don Fasher had bought a floating
pontoon in Whangarei and had it towed to the island, where it was located in
its present position.
The ‘Tasman’ dropped its forward ramp
and landed the various vehicles, machines and supplies directly onto the
island from Auckland.
