When the Skyline gondolas took their final passengers for the evening to the top of Bob’s Peak and down again, it was for the last time.
After 36 years, the iconic four-seat cabins are being replaced by larger, flashier 10-seaters.
From today, the management of all facilities changes from Skyline Queenstown to construction partner Naylor Love and Austrian lift company Doppelmayr — which manufactured the replacement cabins.
The last four-seat gondola cabins were seen looking lonely, riding up and down the cableway around 9am yesterday as workers laboured to complete their removal, which was done by the afternoon.
Over the next few months, the cabins, towers and cableway will be removed before 10 new towers are installed for the new gondola cableway. Then, the 36 new Doppelmayr cabins will be installed, and both the top and bottom terminals replaced with a new "world-class" restaurant and retail facilities constructed at the peak.
The terminal work is planned to continue beyond the gondola reopening, which is expected to take place no later than July 1.
A 400-space car park is also due in March next year.
The redevelopment was expected to cost $250 million, but upgrades would triple the gondola capacity and slash wait times, Skyline said.
The four-seat cabins are not going to be forgotten, though, as Skyline auctioned most off for new beginnings — and the Whakatipu Wilding Control Group and Branches Charitable Trust will receive some of the funds.
The first to hit Trade Me fetched $5300 and demand only increased, the latest going for $8855 and racking up 114 bids.
More cabins will up for auction until Friday, closing in half-hour increments from 7pm with $2000 reserves.
