Today's Tea Gardens photo is of the Singing Bridge which connects the townships of Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. It got its name from the musical sounds the bridge railings generate during strong south-westerly winds causing the bridge to act as a wind harp.
About 1928, a ferry service started carrying passengers and, later, vehicles between the two townships across the Myall River. In peak holiday periods, however, the length of queues reached unacceptable levels of up to six hours waiting time, creating demand for a bridge. The Tea Gardens-Hawks Nest Bridge was completed and opened by the New South Wales Minister for Public Works on 6 April 1974. The building cost of the bridge was A$1.2 million.
Nice! It's great that modern architecture can acquire names and mythology, isn't it? If it was me, I would say that it was the moans of lost yachtsmen!
I wondered if it was because the bridge made a noise that it was called that......a true singing bridge then.....wonderful pelican just glided into shot.....!
@kwind Thanks. Luckily we get lots of pelicans here, so not unusual for one to photo bomb pictures.
@happypat Yes Pat, initially it was just called the Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens Bridge, not very original and then they discovered that it could sing. ha ha.
@kathiecb Luckily there aren't too many homes so close to the bridge. The building in the background belongs to the Sailing club.
@eyesmile Thanks Gena. It is a pelican and we get lots of them here. Luckily it flew into my photo at the right time.
@karlow75 I think the sound was an accident.
@creampuff The sound it makes bring to mind Lorelei luring the sailors onto the rocks.
@pcoulson Pure fluke Peter that the pelican photo bombed my picture just at the right time :)
@thistle Thanks Joyce .
@wordpixman Thanks Arthur, luckily we don't get gale force winds too often, so it shouldn't sing itself to death
@darthkitty Thanks Kat. Just lucky that the pelican flew in at the right time.
@chimfa I bribed him with a fish, ha ha.
@kwind Thanks. Luckily we get lots of pelicans here, so not unusual for one to photo bomb pictures.
@happypat Yes Pat, initially it was just called the Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens Bridge, not very original and then they discovered that it could sing. ha ha.
@kathiecb Luckily there aren't too many homes so close to the bridge. The building in the background belongs to the Sailing club.
@eyesmile Thanks Gena. It is a pelican and we get lots of them here. Luckily it flew into my photo at the right time.
@golftragic @kwiksilver Thank you both. It really does sing beautifully.