The photo below was contributed by Kevin Burns who remembers using the bridge back in the 60s. Photo date and other details unknown.
Blog post July 2021 shows photos of the old bridge and includes this comment:
The bridge featured in the movie adaptation of The God Boy (by Ian Cross), which was filmed around Waikawa and Manakau in the mid-70’s.
29 March 2008: Long I remember this old bridge; jumping in the river from it (there was always a hole around its western pier). And oh the spring in the bridge!
The spring tides that rendered the bridge uncrossable in dry feet (you could kayak around it!)
Waikawa Beach Footbridge 1931-1990.
Actually, this photo is a bit misleading — there was an extra plank length in place of the steps shown; ay them woz the days!
This bridge is immortalised in a stained glass window in my place.
From: Waikawa Beach Footbridge 1931-1990.
11 December 2013: After the bridge was washed away. The Ratepayers Association put a lot of pressure on the Council to replace the bridge and a replacement further downstream was opened in January 1992.
From: Summer Holiday Newsletter 2013/14.
Early 2018
The footbridge now. See How our footbridge is connnected to the Auckland Harbour Bridge for information about its construction.
Upgrades,July 2018
The footbridge was refurbished in July 2018. The work took about two weeks. Strapping was laid across the deck, new handrails were attached, with an additional rail at the bottom, and plastic anti-slip mesh was laid over the strapping. Plastic was used so people could still walk across the bridge barefoot in summer. The bridge is now a lot more stable.
