WAIOURU CAMP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 237, 13 November 1940, Page 2

WAIOURU CAMP

MODERN MILITARY TOWNSHIP

HIGH STANDARD OF. COM! OUT

Nearhig completion at Waiouvn is the most modern of New Zealand's military camps. Waiouru Gamp will and could without difficulty take up to 10,000. Half a mile square, it is set in the lee of hills, '\vith Mt. Ruapehu ill'teen miles aAvay. Of necessity established in lonely country, the camp has carefully designed and equipped, almost as a model township would lie under a town planning scheme, and the troops will find no lack of comfort. There is a 100-bed hospital, a picture theatre is being erect cd to scat 850 and a Y.M.C'.A building, now almost finished, will be the largest of its kind in New Zealand. There will be a complete post and telegraph office and savings bank and, in course of construction, a special branch railway line, which will have a 1000 feet platform to trdce a double-engincd full train. The station is only 200 yards from the camp. Miles of Paved Roads. The roads will total ()% miles. They will be paved and 25 feel from kerb to kerb, a foot wider than the average main highway. Two roads in the camp will have double lanes, each of 25 feet, with a 30 feet central lane set apart as a "lung" to be planted with shrubs and grass. The camp streets have already been named —Karamea, Moerangi, Kaikoura, Ruahine, Waitakere, Ruapehu,, Maunganui, Ngaruhoe, Kaimanawa, Hikurangi, Tauhara, Aorangi and Pirongia. Giant plants are already generating the electric power for the camp. The water supply comes from a specially constructed dam in the hills. There is modern sewerage for all purposes,The permanent buildings for the outer of the battalion squares are the boiler house, laundry, showers, and drying room block, the ablution stands and conveniences block (one on two sides of the square), officers and n.c.o's cubicles, showers, bathrooms and conveniences block, ordnance depot, company store (five); battalion store, men's mess block (kitchcn, two messrooms, vegetable store, pantry, ser veries and other offices), fuel store and officers and n.c.o.'s mess block with- similar accommodation to the men's mess block.

Provisioning is a big item. The ration store resembles a big city warehouse. It is now being stocked. Already it has 15 tons of sugar, 4% tons of rice, 400 cases of jams, 10,0001b of tea and hosts of other foodstuffs in "wholesale quantities" There are freezing chambers for meat, butter and milk, the meat freezer taking ten tons of meat. The refrigerating machinery came from the wrecked steamer Port Bo we n. The Hospital Block. The 100-bed hospital block, fully equipped, has been erected. Two 50-bed wards, subdivided, form the sides of the block; they are built to get the sun and a day-long view of Mount Ruapehu. The administrative offices., kitchen, laundry, dis pensary, and other necessary buildings, form the centre of the block. The nurses' home nearby will house 16 nurses. Hot and Cold Water. For the first time in a New Zealand military camp all ranks will have hot and cold water at the ablution benches Avhere the soldier has his shave and first wash of the day, There are special laundries and dry ing rooms in each area. Fine Recreation Area. In the recreation area, 460 feet by 515, arc situated the Y.M.C.A., Salvation -Army and Church Army Social rooms. The Catholic-Church authorities will also erect a social room there. Everyman's Hut is near by. Here, also, the- foundations of a theatre to seat 850 have been com pleted. If the men still feel energetic after a day's drill or manoeuvres there' will be no lack of sports areas. There is a formed footbail field and also acres of flat land readily adaptable for playing fields. To the .south of the camp a funsized rifle range will be provided, the land being already level for the purpose, and a machine gun range of up to a mile will also be available. For training purposes, there is at least 100,000 acres of land—plain, undulating country arid steep hills.