Boost for Pipiriki

Ruapehu Bulletin, 1 December 1992, Page 12

Boost for Pipiriki

by David ofthe RIC The community of Pipiriki has been quietly growing in recent years and is now ready for the influx of visitors expected over the summer months. "Travellers on the River Road will notice the improved camping grounds," said Dennis McDonnell, the DoC officer for the area. Several new camp sites have been created and existing ones have been upgraded with the addition of new waste isolating-containment toilets, five of which were installed last month. Within Pipiriki itself the Marae, where many visiting sports teams and back-packers have stayed in the past, has been upgraded, grounds and buildings are now comparable to marae in the larger centres and the appearance reflects the hard work the locals put into keeping the community alive. Colonial House, which has been reduced in size, but still retains its charm as an example of late English colonial architecture with period furniture. The gardens are being replanted to their original form by Pet McDonnell, Dennis' wife and DoC colleague. Her plans for the house this | year include opening by

request with an appointment and extended hours opening this month at 12 noon and closing about 5pm. If these times prove popular, they will continue through the summer. New developments for the summer include the opening of a small shop for tourists and locals, selling drinks and snacks, and the completion of the new information building, next to Colonial House, which will take over some of the facilities that are currently run in the crowded DoC office. Also, there are plans to build a walkway to the Drop Scene up river from the settlement, the spectacular gorge that became a 19th Century wonder. This plan is subject to the approval of the owners of the farmlands the proposed path would cross. Dennis said many foreign visitors who have come through in the last few years have expressed interest in such walks. The numbers of foreign visitors are increasing, said Dennis. Only the road conditions seem to be a disappointment to them and do discourage a few. "Although you sometimes see some German guys on bikes and offer them a lift and they say 'no thanks, we've never ridden on a metal road and

want to try it out'!" Dennis laughs. 'They enjoy it and come back this way, too!" Many New Zealand travellers though, are put off by the unsealed road and Dennis believes that the authorities should look seriously at sealing a kilometre or so a year. With the promotion of Pipiriki planned by DoC and local companies the numbers of tourists alone would justify more work being done, let alone the numbers of locals and travellers now taking

this route to Wanganui, he said.