$6m redeveloped Outdoor Pursuits Centre opened

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 14, Issue 646, 23 July 1996, Page 5

$6m redeveloped Outdoor Pursuits Centre opened

A redeveloped youth and leadership centre — the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Cen tre of New Zealand — was jointly opened by the Prime Minister the Right Honourable Jim Bolger and Sir Edmund Hillary on Saturday. The opening comes 23 years after the facility was established as a charitable trust by adventurer Graeme Dingle at Tawhitikuri, 30km from Turangi. Mr Bolger noted the New Zealanders' love of adventure and the outdoors and praised those involved in the project.

Sir Edmund said he was delighted to have his name associated with the centre. "It provides a challenge where students can set their own goals and achieve them in an atmosphere of fun" He was presented with a cake to celebrate his 77th birthday, declaring he "couldn't think of a better place to celebrate". The opening, attended by 350, occurred in fine, ashfree weather and featured a guard of honour provided by the New Zealand Army. The official party was accompanied by kerugmata of Whanganui iwi and welcomed by Ngati Tu wharetoa, trust members and staff. Accommodation and living facilities for 60 students together with a new administration complex and "the most challenging rope confidence course in New Zealand". Grant Davidson, director or the centre, expressed gratitude for the efforts of the many organisations and individuals involved in the project. "Without their shared vision, efforts and support our dreams would not have become a reality," he said. "We can now look forward with confidence on being able to focus on the provision of quality outdoor education as a way of developing human potential and

environmental awareness, through challenging adventurous programmes facilitated in a fun and supportive manner." He spoke of his visit to the centre as a student and "how it had changed his life forever". He noted the support of the New Zealand Army School of Military Engineering, Linton, who took up the building project as a training exercise over the last two years. The centre has grown to include "The Lotto House" TURN TO PAGE 7

OPC opened

From Page 3 administration building, six chalets in three separate buildings, the Youth Development Centre, the Carter Holt Harvey Leadership Centre and a resource centre. Six million dollars was the cost of the project with major contributions from the New Zealand Lotteries Grants Board, Carter Holt Harvey, Trust Bank Waikato, King Country Energy and the Lions Clubs of New Zealand. The first students moved in Sunday and future bookings were "encouraging".