Raetihi's 100th sumer

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 454, 22 September 1992, Page 13 (Supplement)

Raetihi's 100th sumer

By David of RIC The summer of 1993 will be a very busy one for the town of Raetihi, situated 11km west of Ohakune and the midway point between Wanganui and Taumarunui. Apart from the regular holiday possibilities, two events

make this summer special. A re-enactment of the sale of the first 80 sections that made up the town's original form will be held on 23 January, the centenary day. Our logging town past will come alive, with a mar-

ket day and parades of horse-drawn vehicles of the era. Local craftspeopie and retailers are planning a gala market sale - although goods and prices may not be a century old! To raise funds for the Raetihi Rest Home pro-

ject, a local member of the Ulysses motorcycle club is organising a run through the area. This club's members are all over the age of fifty and their machines are of "classic vintage" as well, so the event promises to be interesting.

But Raetihi needs no special occasion to be a summer holiday spot. An hours' drive from Wanganui along the Parapara Scenic Highway, the town is a popular starting point for jet boating and canoeing on the Whanganui river. The famous Bridge to Nowhete can be reached by the adventurous hiker in around a day, and is also a feature of tours on the river. For the seasoned rafter / kayaker, guided trips through the river's many rapids are available. Quieter stretches of the river make for more sedate and beautiful travel, as they did for the riverboats, settler's barges and Maori wakas of the days gone by. The smaller streams arising from the thawing snows of Ruapehu are full of fish by December, and offer good catches and good eating to anglers using dry fly nymph and spinner. Accommodation is plentiful and varied. Within the town is the Ruapehu Hotel, a complex catering to both backpackers and long term tourists with an attached public bar and restaurant. The Country Classic Lodge at the beginning of the Pipiriki road is a showcase of antique decor. Several farms in the area also open their homes in summer for "Townies" to see the farming life first hand.