Neighbour turns 100

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 553, 13 September 1994, Page 3

Neighbour turns 100

By

Michele

Monaghan

After months of planning and preparation, Taihape' s Centennial is now history. The town celebrated the 100th anniversary of the arrival of European settlers

over the weekend. There was something for everyone, ranging from pikelets cooked over a camp stove to wood chopping competitions, Tiger Moth rides to stage coach rides.

Rugby fans weren't disappointed with the amiable draw between Ohakune' s Ruapehu Rascals and Taihape' s Toobmugs (gumboot backwards). Of particular interest to

Waimarino residents was perhaps the rail display which included trains old and not so old, large and small. Taihape and Ohakune both share a piocieering frontier history,

with the building of the Main Trunk Line and timber milling being the common links. The building of the Main Trunk Line is perhaps the main reason for the two towns' existence.

Main Trunk Rail Ohakune (MTRO) did their bit by chartering a train from Ohakune to Taihape, stopping in Waiouru to uplift passengers from the Army Museum. About 125 Ohakune locals took advantage of the trip and joined in with Taihape centennial celebrations. Originally MTRO had chartered the Silver Fern for the trip. Due to a train crash the Silver Fern was unavailable and the larger Overlander was used instead. MTRO chartered the train when the Rail Enthusiasts Society from Auck-

land brought the train as far as Ohakune. Passengers from Auckland stopped off to enjoy two days and two nights of skiing, jet-boat-ing and exploring the district while MTRO and a full train trundled down to Taihape to share in their neighbour' s history. MTRO President Bob Norling said the aim of the trip was to represent the Ohakune- Waimarino area during the rail construction era. He said he wished to extend a special thanks to all the sponsors who ensured the trip was affordable for everyone.