A new bridge on the popular bushwalk that starts at the bottom of Ōhope Hill continues a family legacy spanning generations.

The bridge, completed late last year on the Fairbrother Track, was designed by Whakatāne Department of Conservation engineer Cris Fairbrother on a section of track named in honour of his grandfather.

Peter Fairbrother (1926-1972) had a passion for the outdoors and for Māori culture. He combined these passions as a ranger, and later senior ranger, with the New Zealand Forest Service, working in what was then known as Te Urewera National Park.

In addition to building bridges, tracks and huts, he was known for building cultural bridges between Māori and Pākehā.

He was held in such high esteem that he was laid in state at Wairaka Marae following his death in 1972. His influence on the Whakatāne area is commemorated through the Fairbrother Track, a short section of the Ngā Tapuwae o Toi Walkway east of Whakatāne. When a slip took out a small section of track in 2025, a solution was needed to keep the popular walk in use.

Mr Fairbrother prepared the design drawings for a bridge to span the slip on the track, becoming involved in the project through his role as an engineer.

It was initially suggested that building a retaining wall could fix the washed away track, but Mr Fairbrother ruled out this option after a site visit.

“All this is a spring and soft mud,” he said.

“If you’re going to put a pole in there and try to retain it, it’s going to have to go so far into the ground; it’s just way more complicated than it needs to be.”

Instead, a bridge was designed to safely span the unstable ground, restoring access along the track.

Mr Fairbrother said the personal connection to the project became clear only during the design process.

“My manager aksed, ‘Fairbrother Track – are you naming this track up yourself?’ and I said, ‘Nah, it’s named after my grandfather,’” he said.

The connection to conservation work runs deep in his family. “My grandfather was one of the first DOC rangers appointed to Te Urewera National Park. My father grew up following his dad around the park and passed that love on to my brother and I.”

The track remained unofficially in use after the slip, despite being closed for safety reasons, with walkers continuing to navigate the damaged section at their own risk until the bridge was completed.

Mr Fairbrother has worked on a range of projects, including bridges, viewing platforms and historic structures.

The bridge now ensures continued access along the popular route while honouring a legacy that helped shape it decades earlier.