Story: West Coast region

Biplane at Bruce Bay, 1935

Biplane at Bruce Bay, 1935

Because of the lack of bridges and roads in South Westland, many settlements were isolated. Air travel was often the best way to get around, and the first scheduled air service in New Zealand was set up in the region. Small planes landed on the beaches at low tide or on local airstrips. This is a Fox Moth biplane, owned by Air Travel (NZ), on the beach at Bruce Bay in 1935.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Whites Aviation Collection
Reference: WA-AVH-06-1; G
Photograph by Leo Lemuel White

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Simon Nathan, 'West Coast region - Transport and communication', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/21133/biplane-at-bruce-bay-1935 (accessed 25 April 2024)

Story by Simon Nathan, updated 1 Sep 2016