Mangaeturoa outdoors school planned

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 360, 30 October 1990, Page 3

Mangaeturoa outdoors school planned

Mangaeturoa North School may be put to use again soon, if plans being looked at by Raetihi School and Ruapehu College come to fruition. The two schools are looking to set up an Education Outside the Classroom facility for school pupils in, as well as outside, the area. The idea was mooted earlier this year and at present a management committee structure is being looked at. Raetihi Principal Doug McLean said the committee could be made up of representatives of the Mangaeturoa community and of the southem Ruapehu area's schools. Outdoor education would be the main use of the facility run on a similar basis to the Mangatepopo unit, but with a different emphasis. Suggested uses of the centre include a base for kayaking, water skills, orienteering, flying fox, walking, abseiling, mud slide, miscellaneous field work, stream studies, biology and geography field work, horticulture and agriculture. The Ruapehu College Property Committee suggested the centre could be run on a commercial basis, renting it to schools outside the area. Present facilities include a main block which could be used by up to 20 pupils, an old classroom which could become a bunkroom with some rebuilding, a toilet block which needs some repair work, a swimming pool which would require some minor maintenance, a tennis court, seven hectares of grounds and miscellaneous jungle gyms and a playhouse. Nearby features include Winstones Lakes, -the Mangaeturoa creek, Hukuroa - the highest point in the Raetihi area, surrounding farmland, Ruapehu College joint venture forestry block.