Durie Hill Elevator in Whanganui is a public transport elevator set into a 213-metre tunnel, linking the city with Durie Hill. We hear the elevator is closed while technical assessments continue. A replacement shuttle runs seven days a week between the City Bridge Tunnel Entrance at 42 Anzac Parade and the Elevator Tower landing at 2 Blyth Street, and the timetable is on the website. The Durie Hill Tunnel is still open to walk and view. The elevator opened in 1919 and helped start the Durie Hill garden suburb, which the website says is often called New Zealand's first modern suburb.
The service runs on demand. Ring the bell at either landing and an operator comes to you. Payment is taken in the car by cash, eftpos, credit card or paywave. Bikes and dogs travel free with passengers, and concession tickets give 10 adult or 20 youth one-way trips. Staff take a short, required break twice a day, when there is no service. Guided tours are also offered. Our pick in Whanganui for a ride with a view over the city and the river.