About half way along the Arthur’s Pass road is the Otira Viaduct. Completed in 1999 it crossed a 440 metre stretch of unstable land. Before the viaduct it was a narrow, winding, dangerous road that by all accounts was prone to avalanches. Having read that Highway 73, otherwise known as Arthur’s Pass, is one of the great must do drives in New Zealand. I had planned to drive from the west coast back to Christchurch in January. Due to the weather a bridge on west coast road got washed away and I had to drive a much longer alternative route. Last month I was back in Christchurch with a few days to spare so drove back to Auckland.