A – is from a photo taken in the early 1980’s – photo courtesy of Lloyd Godman, the red line above the headland traces the natural landfall outline.
The coloured arrows point to the same rock formations in all four visions. These photos are taken on slightly different angles, but still illustrate the picture.
B – is the headland in February 2009.
C – A probable visual outcome of how the covenant can be preserved and mining can continue in the predicted volumes as close to the original intention as possible.
D – If it wasn’t for the group ‘Friends of Blackhead‘ we may very well have ended up with this ‘artists vision‘ near the end of this century. Note the 10metre high breakwater for the boat harbour as was planned in 1985.
This would have seen the disappearance of Blackhead headland altogether! No more sheltered surfing there in the nor-easter.
Friends of Blackhead 
The destruction of Blackhead which could have been a wonderful asset for the city to have kept treasured forever is a total tragedy and puts Dunedin to complete disgrace — all because of sheer greed- and what an absolute eyesore able to be seen from right along Brighton and the southern coastline! It stands out like a big sore toe from miles away and ruins a large part of the coastal vista of the Southern Scenic Route.
I left Dunedin during 1995 (a time when damage to Blackhead was at an early enough stage so as to not really take my notice)….only to return 3 years later to be totally shocked when I saw the south side being destroyed. So out of a feeling of urgency and despair during late 1998/early 1999 I tried (in futility) to generate renewed public interest in putting a COMPLETE STOP to the butchering of Blackhead (AND its repair) only to discover that I was WAY too late to do anything and that there was really nothing legally that could be done as apparently all that could be done was done way back in 1991 (a time in which I was completely unaware of what was going to happen to Blackhead even though I lived so close to it and saw it from my bedroom window every day!). Still today I find it almost impossible to bear even looking at Blackhead every time I’m up the beach walking my dog. Often when friends from another part of New Zealand or from another country come to visit me they would be shocked and say something like “Oh! Why is that beautiful coastal headland to the north being destroyed?! Do you have no environmental awareness here?”
I’ve always wondered what could be done long term to restore Blackhead to it’s original glory. Would it be possible to turn the area into a sort of landfill for demolished hard materials such a masonry, bricks, concrete. etc etc… so that over time it could be reshaped, then finally with a top layer of clay, soil and even native bush emulating the old late 19th/early 20th century photos?
Thanks for your message Karl.
Unfortunately I believe it is far too late to do anything to ‘fix’ it.
The idea of fill would bring into question contaminants, which is a whole new kettle of fish.
Once the quarrying is finished there, we will be left with basically a pyramid. One terrible thought I had.. turn it into a symbol of capitalism and control by capping it with an all seeing eye.
Now that would be a massive talking piece.