ow ▁for ▁some ▁vessels ▁to ▁access . ▁ ▁The ▁deep - water ▁wh ar ves ▁in ▁nearby ▁O ner ah i ▁were ▁consider ably ▁more ▁des irable , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 9 ▁appro val ▁was ▁granted ▁to ▁extend ▁the ▁railway ▁from ▁Wh ang are i ▁to ▁O ner ah i . ▁ ▁It ▁took ▁until ▁July ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁for ▁construction ▁to ▁get ▁under way , ▁and ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁a ▁contract ▁was ▁let ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁bridge ▁across ▁Wh ang are i ▁Har bour . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁ 3 2 3 ▁metres ▁long ▁with ▁a ▁central ▁lif ting ▁span , ▁and ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 4 . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁long ▁before ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁nick named ▁the ▁G ull ▁Ro ost , ▁for ▁obvious ▁reasons . ▁ ▁Some ▁work ▁continued ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁after ▁the ▁bridge ▁was ▁finished , ▁but ▁construction ▁ground ▁to ▁a ▁halt ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 6 ▁and ▁no ▁more ▁work ▁was ▁done ▁for ▁four ▁years . ▁ ▁It ▁recom men ced ▁during ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁and ▁the ▁line ▁was ▁finished ▁the ▁next ▁year . ▁ ▁It ▁came ▁into ▁the ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁Rail ways ▁Department ▁on ▁ 2 ▁October ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁ ▁At ▁this ▁time , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁southern ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁isolated ▁Wh ang are i ▁railway ▁network , ▁which ▁extended ▁north wards ▁to ▁O ka ih au ▁and ▁Op ua , ▁and ▁construction ▁of