Cardrona Bra Fence

The Cardrona Bra Fence was a controversial tourist attraction in Central Otago, New Zealand, where passers-by started to add bras to a rural fence, with the fence eventually growing into a famous tourists attraction with hundreds of individual bras. The fence was on a public road reserve adjacent to farm property in the Cardrona Valley area southwest of Wanaka.

Origins

The Bra Fence began at some point between Christmas and New Year 1999, when four women's bras were attached to the wire fence alongside the road. The original reason for the bras being attached to the fence is unknown. News spread of the addition, which was left on the fence by the local landowners, and more bras began to appear. By the end of February there were some 60 bras, but at about this time they were all removed anonymously. This was reported in the local press, and the story gained widespread dissemination through the New Zealand media, leading to more bras appearing.cite web | url=http://www.snowfarmnz.com/index.cfm/Bra_Fence_Story | title=Bra Fence Story]

By October 2000, the number of bras had reached around 200, and again the fence was cleared of bras and this time the story spread even wider, as the fence had by this time become to some a quirky tourist attraction, and media sources from as far afield as Europe became interested in the fence. Due to this interest the number of bras being added to the fence personally or sent to be added increased dramatically. In early 2006, the number of bras attached to the fence stood at close to 800.

could get offended by the fence, as well as many other Asian cultures or South Africans.cite web | url=http://www.local6.com/news/4786539/detail.html | title=Giant 'Bra Fence' Sparks Controversy | accessdate=2007-06-18]

However local sheep farmer John Lee, who had become the unofficial guardian of the site, refused to remove the bras from the fence, claiming that 90% of letters received about the fence were positive and that the bras were the most photographed attraction in the area.

On April 28, 2006, after discovering the fence rested on public road reserve, the local Council determined the bra fence was a "traffic hazard" and an "eyesore" and ordered the bras on the fence to be removed. On September 7, 2006, the local Council announced it would remove the remaining bras from what it described as a "dilapidated eyesore." Two days later, the local Council made good on its pledge and removed over 1,500 bras.cite news | title=Council pings famous fence | publisher=One News | date=2006-04-27 | url=http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/488120/705526 | accessdate=2006-05-02] The fence's removal led to an attempt to make the world's longest bra chain, at an annual festival in nearby Wanaka, later that year. The attempt at the world record fell more than 100,000 bras short but raised over $10,000 for charity. [ [http://www.newsgab.com/2006/09/19/wanaka-new-zealand-attempts-bra-chain-record/ Wanaka, New Zealans attempts bra chain record] , Newsgab.com, September 19, 2006, Retrieved on 25/8/07]

References

External links

* [http://www.angelfire.com/tx5/wheresandy/ridereports/brafence.html Report on October 2000 vandalism]
* [http://youtube.com/watch?v=RaFPq41cBkc Home video of fence, March 2004]
*Cardrona Bra Fence was at coordinates coord|-44.860432|169.022169|type:landmark