Photos of Bridge Over Rapid River,

South Arthur Forest Drive, Tarkine Wilderness, Tasmania, Australia

 

The remarkable thing about this bridge is that it is still there.
(The Tayatea Bridge, over the Arthur River  20kms (12 miles) away
was washed out 3 years ago (these photos were taken in Dec 2009)

The rainfall in this part of Tasmania is wild (over 2 metres a year) and flash floods are a real problem.

If you look at the photo below you will see how the builders solved the problem.
That steel cable is wrapped around huge trees over 200 metres back in the forest.
When a flood comes down the river, the bridge  floats above it's current position, but is not washed away.
When the waters recede, the bridge drops back to the position it is in now.

Smart thinking guys!

(This bridge is a little worn and the logs for a new bridge are already felled, just up the road around the bend)

 

 

 

Photos of Bridge Over Rapid River, Tasmania, Australia