April to October, 1997
Photos of these activities have generously been made available by Alan & Sue Gray of Awana, Great Barrier Island. All images on this page are copyright.
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.