Turoa on world tour

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 313, 14 November 1989, Page 10

Turoa on world tour

BY

dennis

beytagh

Among the many overseas visitors to the Ruapehu region during the past winter were two adventurous English girls who stopped off in Ohakune during their yearlong, world-wide tour to ski on Turoa's sunny slopes.

It was something they had been looking forward to during their two-month stay and working holiday in New Zealand. Julia Peet and Vicki Fry (both 22) are from Worthing in Sussex and they regarded their day's skiing and stopover in Ohakune among the highlights of their tour to date, and the weather was "perfect." They had arrived the

day before having hitch-hiked from Wellington that morning and, during their brief stay in the Waimarino, managed to take in a couple of other local 'attractions.' They visited Rangataua and, being English, were both intrigued and amused with the Rangataua version of London's most famous up-market store - Harrods - which, they said, bore no resem-

blance whatsoever to the Knightsbridge 'branch' except for the style of lettering and colours with which they were familiar. Julia and Vicki also made a special point of

visiting Ohakune's giant carrot site beside the Mangteitei Stream - the town's fame as the major supplier of that vegetable to North Island markets has obviously spread far and

wide - so it seemed only natural that they should sample some local market garden produce for their evening meal at the Ohakune Youth Hostel where visitors prepare their

own food. So far the pair have travelled together through Mexico, Julia has crossed the South American continent - including the Andes - from Rio de Janeiro to

Lima in Peru, both have seen something of California and Hawaii and, following their New Zealand segment, will be heading for Australia and the Orient.