History

Sited on land that was once part of Ruataniwha Station, Twizel was constructed as the base for the Upper Waitaki Power Development.
This scheme was the largest hydro project ever undertaken in New Zealand , started in 1968 and completed 18 years later.

Twizel is a new town - new in that it was constructed as recently as 1968, and "New Town" is the planning definition for the modern layout of the streets, facilities and amenities.

Twizel's layout is based on a Scandinavian concept first used in New Zealand at Mangakino (another 'hydro town') and modified at Otematata - base for the Benmore and Aviemore power projects in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

24km of streets were laid in a radial pattern from a central ring road - Mackenzie Drive. Shopping and sporting facilities are centrally located with green areas linking streets to provide safe pedestrian ways to the town centre. Twizel was designed for a peak population of 5,800 and there were 1300 sections occupied in 1977.

Almost all facilities and services that supported the town at the peak of the power project remain, with others, such as the redevelopment of Market Place and installation of solar heating at the swimming pool , have been added since.

Today Twizel is a service and tourist town in the Mackenzie Basin with a residential population of approximately 1200 people.
Popular as a holiday town, in summer the population more than trebles.

The Mackenzie Basin 's treeless landscape has been slowly changed over 100 years with the planting of shelterbelts and windbreak.

The "hydro age" has seen the biggest change - millions of trees planted in the riverbeds and areas restored after hydro construction.
Twizel is the focus of that work - with more than 250,000 trees in the Greenbelt and species, chosen to tone down the greys and browns of the Basin, planted within the town.

Residents were encouraged to plant more trees on their own properties. The results are now obvious in the shelter provided against the equinox winds.



Map and how to get there

click here for an interactive map

How to get there:

From Christchurch :
Drive south on state highway 1 to Rangitata and turn right to Geraldine- 1.5 to 2 hours.
Continue to Fairlie - 30 minutes - and turn right onto state highway 8 through the beautiful Mackenzie Country, past Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki, to Twizel - 1 to 1.5 hours.
Allow 4 hours for a comfortable journey with a break.

From Queenstown :
Drive north on state highway 6 past Cromwell - about 45 minutes.
Turn onto state highway 8 and continue north through Tarras and over Lindis Pass , then through Omarama to Twizel - 1.5 to 2 hours.
Allow 3 hours for a comfortable journey with a break.

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Information Centres

The Twizel Information Centre:

Twizel Events Centre
Phone: (03) 435 3124
Fax: (03) 435 0537
E-mail: info@twizel.com
Hours:
October - April. 9.00am - 6.00pm 7 days a week.

May - September 10.00am - 4.00pm Tuesday to Saturday.

 

Lake Pukaki Visitor Centre

Mackenzie Tourism and Development Board

State Highway 8, PO Box 68 ,
Twizel , New Zealand
Phone: (03) 435 3280
Fax: (03) 435 3283
E-mail: lake.pukaki@xtra.co.nz
Web: www.mtcook.org.nz



Links

www.doc.govt.nz
www.nz.omarama.net
www.mtcook.org.nz
www.laketekapountouched.co.nz
www.christchurchnz.net
www.southisland.org.nz
www.purenz.com


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