Turos

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 454, 22 September 1992, Page 8 (Supplement)

Turos

By

Marnie

woodd

Not so long ago it was unusual to see women working anywhere on the skifield outside the cafes and offices. Fortunately times have changed and women lifties, female ski patrollers and male snow hosts are commonplace on the mountain. Mary Eich McCavana is one of those women who pioneered the move into male dominated jobs on the mountain. She was Turoa's first official female liftie back in 1979 when the field first opened. Now she's Turoa's only female groomer driver. Turoa has four Kassbohrers; two I70hp and two 270hp, one of which Mary drives. One of the I70hp cats is the oldest in New Zealand and was assembled by Dennis Buckingham, now Assistant cat supervisor at Turoa. Mary works with seven other drivers taking turns on the two shifts. The night shift starts at 2pm and finishes about l.30am, the day shift I2.30am to I2pm. "This is a good chance to talk about the wonderful team of guys I work with, " she said. Mary had spent five seasons at Turoa before she started grooming. Some day "Back in 1979 Dennis was giving us a lift up the mountain in his cat and I