An historic moment in the annals of Skyline Queenstown, and the resort itself, occurred last Sunday at 11.45am.
The last of the iconic four-seater gondola cabins left the soon-to-be-terminal bottom terminal for a last jaunt up and down Bob’s Peak.
Onboard was former Skyline Enterprises chairman, Queenstowner Barry Thomas, and his younger son, Lyndon.
‘‘It’s history, alright,’’ Barry tells Mountain Scene.
During his unprecedented 33-year reign as chairman, he commissioned Austrian lift manufacturer Doppelmayr, in 1986, to build a new gondola system, including, then, 26 four-seater cabins.
It replaced the original 1967-installed, Pomagalski ‘bubble-car’ gondola system.
The new lift, which more than doubled capacity, opened on July 22, 1987, along with new bottom and top terminal buildings.
The sleek new four-seaters were chosen to give each passenger an equal chance to enjoy the famous view.
Thirty-six years later, the final paying passengers enjoyed those views last Saturday night, after which the cabins were removed and loaded onto trucks.
The last cabin — no.16 — then took that final trip the following morning.
Skyline — which removed the cableway last week — is replacing the cabins with Doppelmayr 10-seaters as part of a $250 million redevelopment which will also include, again, new top and bottom gondola terminals then, eventually, a new top restaurant building and viewing deck.
The new gondola system, including new towers and cabling, is expected to be up and running by July 1, if not sooner.
Meantime, the company’s selling off most of the cabins as a fundraiser for Whakatipu Wilding Control Group and Branches Charitable Trust.
Cabin no.1 fetched $5300, while bids on a second set of five cabins closed on Friday — bidding on each surpassed the reserve of $2000.
