Brighton Pier...

New Brighton, New Zealand, that is.


If you're going to call your town New Brighton then you really should have a pier.   This is the second creation.   The first - built in 1894 - was made of timber and did well to survive until 1965 when it was demolished in four-and-a-half hours on a receding tide.


There was agitation to get a new pier, and this 300m long structure was opened in 1965.    The residents are known for their political acumen.    After the 2011 quake there was a lot of damage.   A year later not a thing had been done by way of repair, so at a public protest, 80 people bared their bottoms.   These feelings of neglect by the Christchurch City Council are still around.   Groups such as the Peoples independent Republic of New Brighton were formed.   


The pier was further damaged in the 2016 earthquake.   Repair work starts soon.