Ohakune sojourn ends

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 9, Issue 401, 27 August 1991, Page 19

Ohakune sojourn ends

What started as a short-term sojourn to the North Island turned into a 17year love affair for long-time Ohakune residents, Colleen and Bob Newton. The couple leave the Waimarino this week, bound for their "home town" - Dunedin. A line technician in Dunedin for the then New Zealand Electricity Department - now Electricorp - Bob applied for a promotional position in Ohakune. "We didn't even know where Ohakune was then," he said. They and their family of five made the journey to the Waimarino, with intentions of staying just a couple of years. Bob took up the position of sub-station operator at Ohakune's substation on Raetihi Road and along with workmate John Greenwood, carried out 90% of all maintenance on the facility. He was overseer of Mataroa sub-station

near Taihape, and again when a further sub-sta-tion was built at Tangiwai. The change from NZED to Electricorp and internal structural changes over the last three years meant he became less involved with maintaining the Ohakune sub-station, and instead work gangs were sent from Palmerston North when problems arose. Bob has been actively involved with Ruapehu Lions for the last six years, including one year as president. During this time the club pursued numerous community projects, including the installation of a helicopter landing pad at Waimarino Hospital, landscaping of the Tangiwai Memorial site, and renovation of Ohakune Primary School's adventure playground. Bob is enthusiastic about the values of belonging to a closeknit club such as Ruapehu Lions. "I can't say enough about the club and its members," he said. "Working bees - working together - was especially satisfying." The club he said, was an important social event as the relative isolation of his job meant little contact with the community. He is keen to carry on his affiliation with Lions when they are settled in Dunedin. His compulsary retirement at 60 also means more time for such activities as golf and fishing. Colleen served as Librarian of the Ohakune Borough Council library for four and a half years and said she enjoyed every minute of it. "I loved the job," she said. "It was a wonderful opportunity to meet people." She also worked as Waimarino correspondent for the Taihape Times. While in Ohakune, Colleen completed several University Entrance-level papers through correspondence.