Victoria Falls re-activates helicopter flights

 Operators of helicopter flights popularly known as "Flight of Angels" above the Victoria Falls have activated their systems in anticipation of return of tourists following the reopening of the sector.

Helicopter flights were automatically suspended when countries imposed travel bans as there were no travellers to take up the popular activity.

The Flight of Angels is the only opportunity for tourists to view the upper and lower Zambezi River including the gorges, magnificent Victoria Falls and bridge, both on the Zambian and Zimbabwean side.

Chikopokopo Helicopters, Zambezi Helicopters and Bonisairare are the three operators based in the resort town. The recent resumption of domestic flights and the anticipated start of regional travel has reignited hope for helicopter operators.

Chikopokopo workers are already on site and Covid-19 guidelines such as hand washing and sanitising provisions have been put in place.

The company's proprietor, Mr Lloyd Muchaka, said they have come up with packages for domestic tourists as they are ready to resume flights.

"We are very much prepared and we have been communicating with the regulatory authority (Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe) and it seems like everything is in order," he said.

"We are excited by the coming of flights like Fastjet and we have been getting inquiries mainly from domestic tourists. We are hoping very soon we will be getting some from the region," said Mr Muchaka.

Fastjet resumed scheduled flights last Thursday while Ethiopian Airlines is expected to start tomorrow. Mr Muchaka said operators were looking forward to opening of borders, particularly the South Africa and Botswana borders.

"People are waiting for things to happen but we are getting inquiries and hopefully we will be able to sustain numbers. We are excited to welcome tourists back in the new normal. For now, we will be flying smaller families and making sure they are sanitised, masked as we have put in place necessary health guidelines. As clients come in, they will be sanitised and temperature checked," he said.

"I don't think it will be an easy road but somebody has to sacrifice. We have reduced our prices by about 25 percent as we put in place packages to lure domestic clients."

The tourism industry is generally sceptical about resuming most activities owing to low numbers of clients so far.

Source: Victoria Falls re-activates helicopter flights (06/10/20)

Tourism firm launches jet boat in Victoria Falls

Shearwater Adventures Group has added a high adrenaline activity to Victoria Falls’ amusement scene with the launch of a jet boat on the Zambezi River.

This comes at a time the resort town was enjoying renewed interest from the international market.

A jet boat is a boat propelled by a jet engine fitted to its back and is a type of cruise that sails downstream on the rapids and fast flowing water underneath the Victoria Falls Bridge.

After cracking heads over a jet boat that disappeared more than a decade ago while docking at night on the river bank, the country’s leading tour operator has come up with an aluminum 14-seater boat propelled by a 435 Volvo engine fitted with an auxiliary motor for back-up.

It uses 80 litres of diesel per hour and that together with its net mass of close to three tonnes, makes it heavy enough to oppose the current when sailing upstream, Shearwater engineers said.

The boat was made in Cape Town at a cost of half a million dollars. It was launched Saturday morning when it was lowered down the bridge by a crane.

“We spent two years designing this in Cape Town where it was tested before being transported here where it was tested again on the upper Zambezi,” Shearwater general manager for the jet company Garth Fowler told journalists at the launch event.

He said clients will be assured of safety.

“It will operate below the bridge from the boiling pot from rapid 1 to 4 adding to adrenalin rushing activities in Victoria Falls.

“The boat will go through a rigorous testing and safety process for two weeks to ensure it’s safe for clients. We have done as much as we can to make sure it’s designed well and we are confident it’s going to work this time.

“The previous boat was not specifically designed for this environment but this one is perfectly made for this environment,” added Fowler who was also part of the manufacturing process for the boat.

Fowler said it took eight months to make the actual boat while the whole process of designing it took two years as the company sought to ensure safety.

Clients will pay around US$100 for a single trip which will for between 30 and 45 minutes.

Just like rafting, jet boat sailing will be determined by water level.

Other high adrenalin activities on the Zambezi River include bungee jumping, gorge swing and rafting.

Source: Tourism firm launches jet boat in Victoria Falls (03/03/18)

Tourism players ignore elephants ride ban

MOST tourism players in Victoria Falls have not heeded an international ban on elephant training, exhibition and rides, arguing that the prohibition order would drive them out of business.

The ban came into effect on December 31 last year.

Employers’ Association for Tourism and Safari Operations Association president and Shearwater Adventures spokesperson, Clement Mukwasi said operators had slowly transitioned, but it was now business as usual.

He said companies were not abruptly ending the elephant activities, but instead they were introducing programmes that would eventually see the retirement of these animals.

“We hear their call, but there are lots of things to consider before complying.

“We need to strike a balance between terminating someone’s job and elephant activities because, if you look at the Zimbabwean Constitution, we are not committing any offence, so this may be applying in their countries or it is just a moral call,” he said.

“Also, regarding tourists, there are some who enjoy walking with elephants, riding and feeding them and that boosts our industry, so we cannot just wake up and comply. Tourists enjoy such activities, so we need to strike a balance.

“We are actually working on scientific evaluation programmes of retiring elephants, as it includes monitoring them, as others may need rehabilitation and adaptation to bush life so that they don’t become a danger to the community or fail to survive on their own.”

According to operators’ reports, such activities have stopped in Botswana and South Africa and pressure is now on Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zambian tour operators, who offer elephant rides, advertised that they would stop on December 31.

Adventure Zone, Elephant Express and Shearwater are some of the companies that offer elephant rides in Victoria Falls while Lion Encounter does lion walks.

Source: Tourism players ignore elephants ride ban (11/01/18)

Tourist tram returns to the Falls

Leonard Ncube in Victoria Falls

EXPRESSING talent is a hobby for many people while commercialising it is a rare ability of the few.
Mr Marthinus Nel (55), a diesel mechanic by profession based in Bulawayo, belongs to this unique bracket of talented entrepreneurs who smell opportunity when others see problems.

His is a story of an engineer with a passion for tourism, one who sought to use his professional skills to develop a product that contributes economic value to his hobby — travelling.

Recently, Mr Marthinus launched the Zambezi Tram in Victoria Falls, which he built from scratch at a cost of $140 000, probably making him the first Zimbabwean to ever make such a development in years.

The four-cylinder diesel engine machine, has an eight speed power shaft-four forward and four reverse and control decks on both ends and carries tourists to the Victoria Falls Bridge and Rainforest.

It can clock 80km per hour and can carry 30 passengers at one go. Its benches face one direction but can be tilted to face the opposite direction.

Mr Nel runs the business with his wife Cheryl (45), and the couple has attracted the attention of other countries who are interested in importing the model tram, which can bring the much needed revenue and create more employment.

“I already got some inquiries from operators in South Africa who want the trams. They want me to build a tram and export to South Africa,” said Mr Nel.

He said he was waiting for confirmation of the order and was likely to start working on the tram in the first quarter of the year.

“A South African company wants to sell the trams on our behalf in the neighbouring country and I guess that’ll be good for Bulawayo and the country as we make our contribution to Zim-Asset. If opportunity presents itself we should use our skills,” said Mr Nel.

The 30-seater Zambezi Tram started operating in the last half of December 2016 after Mr Nel completed it in October last year.

He said he started working on the tram in December 2015 and completed it in October the following year.

“We started talking about it in November 2015 with Cheryl and we held meetings with the National Railways of Zimbabwe to see if we could get a licence.

“We reached an agreement in December 2015 and started gathering pieces of metal. We acquired the rest of the equipment locally while only the engine was imported from South Africa,” said Mr Nel.

The Nel family, which now employs 12 permanent workers and scores of contract individuals, operates another similar service in the Ngamo area where a tram carries tourists in the game park.

“We started the business in 1992 as Nel Car and Technical Services in Belmont, Bulawayo. We also run Elephant Express, which operates in Dete and Ngamo Forest areas. That was our first experience,” said Mr Nel.

The Zambezi Tram enters a market that has not been tendered for a long time following the demise of the Victoria Falls Steam Train Company, which folded and was liquidated because of debts. Mr Nel said his idea was to enter the market and offer a permanent service.

“We got to know about the previous tram that was here and thought we could replace it and bring good fortunes to tourism in Victoria Falls,” he told Business Chronicle.
Tourists already love the Zambezi Tram.

“We completed it in October and drove over two days from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls. It’s not designed for high speed hence we spent two nights, stopping at lodges as a marketing strategy,” added Mr Nel.

To make an impression into the market, the Zambezi Tram company took tour industry managers on a trial run recently.

The tram is fitted with a PA system from where a guide makes announcements and explanations to clients along the way.

The tram drive is one experience not to miss, with open sides fitted with slide safety ropes with a roof for protection against direct sun and rain.

It runs three daily trips in the morning, afternoon and evening depending on the NRZ schedule. A single drive costs $70 for adults while children pay half the price with those aged below three years riding free of charge.

A festive season special of $50 for adults ended on January 5.

Cheryl, who manages the business, said they looked forward to increasing the volume of tourist rides in the course of the year.

“We have been marketing through social media and some pamphlets. Recently, we took managers on a ride and we have applied to Trip Advisor to have the tram service added as we believe there is going to be more people coming into the country,” she said.

“The festive season is usually a quiet period in terms of business because a majority of tourists are locals who don’t do much of such activities and we expect international numbers to start swelling in March.”

Cheryl said the tram can run its scheduled trips even with two passengers as they are still marketing.
The guide, Mr Aaron Ndlovu, said clients were enjoying the ride. He said they were trying to reach out to locals especially couples doing weddings.

“This is a different activity altogether. A tram was a mode of transport from 1903 and it’s like we are simply reliving that.

“It’s so unique because of the open sides which gives clients a clear view of nature and the surrounding,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said visitors enjoy viewing wildlife such as bushbucks, elephants, impalas, guinea fouls and sometimes hippos.

Source: Nel an entrepreneur with a difference (16/1/17)

Helicopter crash-lands in Victoria Falls

SIX Americans cheated death yesterday after a helicopter that was supposed to fly them above the Victoria Falls had a false start and crash-landed barely thirty metres from where it had taken off.

Janice Mitchel, Elizabeth Hamilton, William Leur, Elizabeth Benevides, Debbie Lonechamps and Stephanie Black all walked from the crash site unaided while first aiders and medical personnel fell over each other in an attempt to help them.

Of the six, four were whisked away to their hotels soon after receiving first aid, while two others had to be taken to a private hospital where they were checked and discharged.

According to a Press statement released by Zambezi Helicopter Company public relations manager Mr Clement Mukwasi, the helicopter performed a hard-landing immediately after take-off and the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe is investigating the cause of the accident. 

"At approximately 11.30am this morning, one of the helicopters operated by the Zambezi Helicopter Company REG: ZSCA performed a hard-landing.

"All six passengers and the pilot walked safely away from the landing unaided. Two have gone to Medicare Private Clinic for further assessment.

"The helicopter has sustained some damage, and all relevant authorities are currently investigating the cause of the accident. Flight operations will commence on 31 August," the statement reads.

The Flight of Angels is the most popular activity in Victoria Falls and enables tourists to view the falls from above in the special rules aviation area which is shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe has two companies that offer the activity while Zambia has three. 

Source: Helicopter crash-lands in Victoria Falls (31/08/15

Shearwater introduces new product

Senior Victoria Falls Reporter

ONE of the leading tour and adventure operators in Victoria Falls – Shearwater Adventures – has introduced a new product – Zambezi River gorge hikes. The new product, which allows guests to explore the Batoka Gorges below the mighty Zambezi River is now one of the 50 activities that are now on offer in the resort town.

Shearwater group public relations manager, Clement Mukwasi said as the tourism sector anticipates an upsurge in tourists arrivals this year, they were now offering a new product to add to the already existing cartel of activities in the resort town.

“The gorge hikes give participants the opportunity to swim in the Zambezi without the unwelcome attention of crocodiles and hippos. The walk in and out of the Batoka Gorge involves a steep 250 metre climb, which is quite strenuous but can be conquered by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness.”

Mukwasi said there were two hiking options available which are the Boiling Pot Hike and the ‘Devil’s Delight’ which is available during the low season from approximately August to December.
“Participants hike down the Batoka Gorge and pass under the Victoria Falls Bridge to the ‘Boiling Pot’ below the Falls where they are ferried by raft to the rocky outcrops below the Falls,” he said.

Mukwasi said the Batoka Gorge Hike and Ndebele Village Tour were now available all year round.
“The activity includes a 40-minute off-road drive through the Zimbabwean countryside to the starting point of the hike. The hike begins about 20km downstream of the Victoria Falls and is followed by a swim in the Zambezi before the demanding climb out.

Atop the gorge, participants take a short trail through the bush to an authentic Ndebele homestead where they can interact with the local headman and his family while having brunch under the thatched shade of their decorated mud huts,” he said.

Other activities in Victoria Falls include elephant interaction, gorge swing, bungee jumping, lion walk, tour of the Victoria Falls Rainforest, cruises, white water rafting, kayaking, Victoria Falls bridge tour, helicopter ride over the rainforest also known as the Flight of Angels, horse trails, game viewing among others.

Source: Shearwater introduces new product (19/02/14)

Open bus for tourists launched in Victoria Falls

Patrick Chitumba Victoria Falls Reporter

KAYS travel and Tours has launched the first ever Victoria Falls open bus for tours in and around the resort town.

The open bus was launched in the resort town on Wednesday last week at a function attended by players in the tourism industry.The bus which is a double decker with a seating capacity of about 70 passengers did its maiden trip around the resort town as agencies in the industry enjoyed the cool breeze especially from the top deck on a mild-to- hot Victoria Falls day.

In his speech, the managing director of Quadruple Holdings, the owners of Kays Travel and Tours, Mr Godfrey Pasipanodya said the bus was coming ahead of the 20th session of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly.

Zimbabwe and Zambia will be co-hosting the forthcoming UNWTO general assembly in Victoria Falls and Livingstone from 24 to 29 August.

“We are here today to witness the launch of this open tour bus. We want to change travel and tours in the resort town, we want to offer a different product aimed at making the resort town a much sort destination,” he said.

Mr Pasipanodya said they were going to offer airport transfers, village tours and township tours to tourists visiting Victoria Falls.

“On top of that we are also offering tours for school children, tours around the resort town, along the Zambezi River to the historic Victoria Falls Bridge. All this is to provide a variety for tourist visiting Victoria Falls,” he said.

In line with the upcoming general assembly, Mr Pasipanodya said the bus offered an exciting opportunity where delegates could feel the spray coming from the Victoria Falls as they make their way to and from Victoria Falls and Livingstone for the plenary sessions.

Source: Open bus for tourists launched in Victoria Falls (29/07/13)

Biggest luxury cruise liner launched

Patrick Chitumba in Victoria Falls

ZIMBABWE’S biggest luxury cruise liner, the Zambezi Explorer, was officially launched on Sunday on the Zambezi River bank before tourism sector executives. The cruise liner hit the Zambezi waters ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) to be co-hosted with Zambia in late August.

Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive, Mr Karikoga Kaseke cut the ribbon before a bottle of champagne was popped and poured onto the liner’s entry point.

With capacity for 140 guests, the Zambezi Explorer has been described as ideal for both leisure and corporate events where either the entire craft or part of it may be hired for exclusive functions or product launches.

Mr Kaseke said such investment into the sector was evident enough that the country was still a major player to reckon.

“This is a historic moment in the tourism industry and is coming just under three months before we co-host the general assembly. A lot has been said and one concerning the general assembly and I know that we are ready to co-host the event,” said Mr Kaseke.

“This local investment shows that there is still confidence in local tourism and there is capacity for the tourism to regain its status. We are coming from a time when there was havoc caused by the Zimbabwe dollar when the hotels were empty but this shows that we are coming out of the woods.”
He said he hoped that the interest shown in the country by tourists would translate into actual business.

“The Ministry has already booked the vessel for the ministerial luncheon and for the spouses’ sunset cruise,” he said.

Zambezi Explorer chief executive Mr Messias Maoneni said they were optimistic that the country was on the right track to regaining its status as the tourism hub of the region. He said the $1,2million investment was going to result in the transformation of the cruising sector.

“We are looking into the future. We are looking at local, regional and international clients and that’s why the variety in dishes to be offered on this liner. It took us a period of about five years from conception period to actual realisation of our dream liner,” said Mr Maoneni.

The two lower decks provide a 5-star luxury service where guests can choose from an exciting range of beverages and cocktails as well as a selection of delicious snacks.

Information provided by the company indicates the “Signature Deck” is the third level and has gourmet hors d’oeuvres and premium beverages served from a private bar. Guests on that level can relax in the comfort of deep set couches and enjoy absolute VIP service.

The Zambezi Explorer offers sunrise, lunch, dinner and sunset cruises on the Zambezi.
The cruise liner also offers Jetty dinner — a candle light dinner accompanied by the ambient sounds of the African night.

Source: Biggest luxury cruise liner launched (11/6/13)

Tour operators accused of trying to ‘sabotage’ VIP bridge event

In an interview in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) chief executive Mr Karikoga Kaseke said the actions by the operators almost led to Mr Rifai cancelling his trip to the country.

He, however, said while he understood that operators in Victoria Falls had not been officially told that the Victoria Falls Bridge will be closed before and during the signing ceremony of the Trilateral Host Agreement by President Mugabe and his Zambian counterpart Michael Sata, they had no right to tell the outside world that the signing ceremony was going to derail or stop tourism activities at the bridge and between Livingstone and Victoria Falls.

“We have heard that some players had written to the Secretary General complaining about his coming here. While we might not have communicated with them they should not have done that. We will do things and involve the people of Victoria Falls,” he said.

“We cannot blame them for trying to discourage the secretary general from coming but they should have come to us. This was an element of sabotage and we say no to that, it is a very bad behaviour and we need to rein them in,” said Mr Kaseke.

Meanwhile, Mr Kaseke said his authority was going to consider giving back another star to Elephant Hills resort after Mr Rifai commended the facility as first class.

The hotel had been downgraded to a four-star from a five-star after a fall in standards.
However, Mr Rifai described it as a first class facility after inspecting it.

“Yes they have impressed the secretary general and if they continue we will give them another star,” he said.

Source: Tour operators in ‘sabotage’ attempt (4/6/12)

Weak cord caused bungee jumping mishap

The batch of rubber used to make the bungee jumping chord that snapped, resulting in the plunging of an Australian tourist, Erin Langworthy, into the Zambezi metres from the Victoria Falls Bridge on New Year’s Eve was weak, it has been revealed.

According to a statement from Mr Clement Mukwasi, Shearwater group public relations manager, the rubber became weaker due to age and use but also as a result of environmental issues like moisture and ultra-violet radiation.

“The forensic investigation indicated that the batch of rubber used to make the cord was weak when compared to new rubber. The assumption is that the rubber became weaker due to age and use but also as a result of environmental issues like moisture and UV degradation,” said Mr Mukwasi.
“Regrettably our inspection process, though in line with international standards and having worked successfully for us for 17 years did not pick up this weakness.”

He said the bungee rubber used in the manufacture of the malfunctioning bungee cord had been supplied by a South African company called Face Adrenalin.

“This was the only time we have ever sourced rubber from Face Adrenalin and it is the only time we have had such an accident. At the end of the day what happened here was equipment failure caused by weak rubber,” said Mr Mukwasi.

“New inspection and testing measures have now been implemented, which address this, and we are very confident that this incident will not be repeated.

“Now that the forensic findings are known to us we are confident that the new measures implemented by ourselves will prevent an incident like this happening again in the future.

“In light of this it is our intention to recommence bungee jumping on Friday, 27 January 2012. The steps we have taken include the daily load testing of the bungee cords to confirm their strength and thorough inspections of the bungee cords after every 75 jumps.”

He said the company, Victoria Falls Bungee, has very well laid down operating procedures and also comply with the Australian and New Zealand Industry Standards on the operation of bungee jumping.
“In terms of client safety we do not only constantly monitor, check and inspect our safety system but we also subject ourselves to bi-annual independent safety audits carried out by an internationally certified South African organisation.”

The investigations were conducted by a South African-based company.

Source: Weak cord caused bungee jumping mishap (25/01/12)

Tourists sceptical after bungee jumping mishap

Chronicle visited the bridge on Monday and witnessed that bungee jumping operations have since commenced.

Some tourists jumped while others refused even after paying for the activity mainly because they were not sure about their safety.

Bridge swing, bridge slides and bridge tours that were not affected by the accident continued operating as usual.

While some tourists jumped, some had some reservations because of the snapping of the cord that happened on 31 December.

“After learning of the accident that occurred I cannot help it but desist from jumping today. We are no longer sure of the safety of these cords,” said Mr Martin Attikinson of South Africa.

Meanwhile, Zambia’s Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Tourism, Mr Given Lubinda, was at the bridge on a fact-finding mission on Monday.

Mr Lubinda took the opportunity to take part in the bridge activities such as bridge slide and bridge swing. He took a chance and bungee jumped before bridge sliding to assure tourists and others present that it was still safe to engage in these activities.

Mr Lubinda expressed sadness at the fact that a life could have been lost on 31 December.
In a statement, the Zambezi Bridge Company, which operates the bridge activities, said this was the first incident of its nature in 17 years of operation.

“It goes without saying that we deeply regret the incident, which is the first such incident in 17 years of operations during which time more than 150 000 people have safely jumped from the bridge.

“The exact reason for the bungee cord failure is as yet unknown. We have engaged the necessary safety specialists who will be coming within the coming week to investigate the cause.

“We are treating this incident seriously and our aim now is to learn what we can from this and apply that knowledge so as to ensure that there is no reoccurrence,” reads part of the statement.

The statement further stated that preliminary measures that include removing all bungee cords from the system, which were made with the same batch of rubber as that used to make the failed cord, had been implemented.

“An entirely new set of bungee cords has been installed on the system. These have been extensively load tested and inspected thoroughly and we are satisfied that they are safe to jump on.

“The entire bungee system has been thoroughly inspected and checked and we are confident that everything is safe to jump on. In addition to our normal checks and procedures we have instigated additional daily and intermittent checks on the bungee cords and we are fully satisfied that these checks and procedures are more than sufficient to ensure our clients’ safety.

“Our own crew is conducting test jumps before the commencement of daily operations and throughout the day. Experts in South Africa have been contacted and we expect them to be on site next week to help us with our ongoing investigations as to the cause of the incident.”

Officer Commanding Victoria Falls police district, Chief Superintendent Jairos Chiona confirmed the incident saying that it took place on 31 December at around 5:30 pm. “A 22-year-old Australian backpacker, Ms Erin Langworth, fell from the Victoria Falls Bridge, 111m above the river on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. We attended the scene as the police because she managed to swim to the Zimbabwean side of the river. We, however, handed over the matter to the Zambia police since she was staying in Zambia and had been booked by a Zambian company to do bungee jumping.

“The bungee machines are on the Zambian side and therefore we treat the matter as having occurred in Zambia,” he said.

Chief Supt Chiona said after the snapping of the rope, Ms Langworth was sent plunging into the rapids below and was forced to swim through the rapids with her feet still tied together.

“The bridge crew and a local medical response team then rescued her. She sustained relatively minor injuries, mostly bruising and has no broken bones. The cause of the incident is being thoroughly investigated,” he said.

Source: Tourists sceptical after bungee jumping mishap (10/01/12)

Vic Falls Bridge Company introduces guided tours

The company recently took agents from tour and adventure companies in Victoria Falls on a familiarisation tour of the bridge that straddles the Zambezi River between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In an interview at the bridge, the bridge company’s marketing manager, Mrs Sonja Clay, said a visit to the Victoria Falls area was not complete without a trip to Victoria Falls Bridge.

“It is for a good reason that the bridge is the area’s second most visited landmark. Built in 1905, it was at the time the highest railway bridge in the world.

“It is truly a wonder of Victorian engineering and provides striking views of the falls, Batoka Gorge and Zambezi River,” she said.

“Our bridge tour includes a special presentation on the history of the bridge and the men who built it, a guided tour of the bridge, visitor centre and a rare opportunity to walk on the catwalks used in the original construction of the bridge.” She said tours were conducted three times daily at 9.15am, 12.15pm and 3.15pm.

Victoria Falls Bridge was part of Cecil John Rhodes’ dream of a railway line linking the Cape to
Cairo, which was fuelled by investment and speculation about the potential of central Africa. This famous bridge was designed by GA Hobson, and the preliminary calculations were made by Ralph Freeman, who would rise to fame as the designer of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 1932.
It was built by Cleveland Bridge Company, and cost 72 000 pounds at the time.

Source: Vic Falls Bridge Company introduces guided tours (12/10/10)