Sculpture

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 10, Issue 458, 20 October 1992, Page 12

Sculpture

After watching the 17minute film about the Tongariro Power Scheme, visitors are taken through the power station itself past a recently installed granite and bronze sculpture by Lyonel Grant. It was officially unveiled on 29 January this year. Commissioned by the local tangata whenua - the Tawharetoa - the sculpture symbolises a number of concepts: A stylised water droplet represents the source from which the station's power generation is derived; the gourdlike shape portrays prosperity which electricity generation has brought to the region; the anchor stone shape and the prow figure represent the stern (taurapa) and bow (tauihu) of the Te Arawa Whaka (the ancestral canoe) which is said to lie between Maketu and Tongariro. Once in the power station visitors are shown the four huge turbines - each measuring 18m in length and weighing 116 tonnes - turning at a con-

stant 375 revolutions per minute. These are driven by the pressure of water being carried through the Tokaanu Tunnel under the Mt Tihia from Lake Rotoaira - some 6km distant and 200m above the surge chamber - and finally down through the 124m-long penstocks

which are such a prominent feature on the hillside above the power station. Electricity from the Tokaanu Hydro Power Station, which employs about 45-staff and is under constant 24-hour supervision, is fed into the national grid and averages about 862 Gwh

(giga/watt/hours) per year through its four 55 MW vertical Francis type turbine generators. Other technical information about the workings of the Tokaanu Hydro Power Station may be obtained and cxplained on request during your visit.