Cape Kidnappers
1Cape Kidnappers, a prominent peninsula in beautiful Hawke’s Bay, is an award-winning tourist destination. The Kidnappers golf course is internationally regarded as one of the most beautiful in the world, although many a golfer has despairingly watched their ball disappear over the picturesque cliffs. In its former life, the area was a large sheep station stretching out to a famous gannet colony at the point.
2This project required extensive civil works to bring the roads and bridging up to speed before the structural elements could be addressed. The civil works include a winding link road requiring 12 bridges over the river bed and one over a very steep, deep gorge. The property also required a large reservoir that was located 6km from the source. To complicate matters, these projects were performed in environmentally sensitive terrain, and right in the middle of a busy sheep farm.
3Holmes Consulting’s structural engineering services included the design of the golf club facilities, maintenance sheds and other buildings. The terrain at Kidnappers is steep and prone to erosion, requiring some clever foundation solutions, and the designs needed to harmonise with the surrounding landscape and environment.
Cape Kidnappers is now an internationally acclaimed tourist destination, and a predator protected environment that is now flourishing with native flora and fauna. If you get the chance to visit Hawke’s Bay, a guided tour through the Kidnappers development – and out to the gannet colony – is well worth the time.
