Seeing River Park first hand

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 1, Issue 42, 10 April 1984, Page 9

Seeing River Park first hand

The recent tour of inspection of the proposed Wanganui River National ■^ark by members of the ^ational Parks Authority, the Wellington branch of the Reserves Board and representatives of the Lands and Survey Department was a successful operation despite overcast and threatening weather. The 24-member group gathered in the Grand Hotel in Wanganui, on a very wet Friday night and contem-

plated their 3-day inspection tour without obvious enthusiasm. They spent the evening informally meeting each other and discussing the Park proposal. Fortunately, when they headed north the following morning (24 March) on a Newmans coach the weather cleared for the drive up the River Road. The official party lunched at Pipiriki before taking off for the Puri Hut in the Matemateaonga Ranges in a shuttle service of helicopters operated by Lisa Patterson and Simon Green of Wanganui Aero Work. Six helicopter trips between Pipiriki and Matemateaonga were necessary before all members of the inspection party were relocated at the Puri Hut. Pipiriki's former senior ranger, John Ombler, who is now in Te Anau National Park and Pipiriki's recently appointed Wanganui River senior ranger John Lythgoe were both included in the 24-

strong inspection party for their expert knowledge of the area. They were later joined by Park's Assistant Ken Hunt from Taumarunui as the official party moved north. The Authority were entertained to a barbecue which had been prepared by members and friends of the Pipiriki Ranger Station at their Saturday night camp. They stayed in a tent camp at Waterfall Creek in the Mangapurua Valley. On Sunday the official party walked to the 'Bridge to Nowhere'and after lunch headed south in two jet boats and three Canadian canoes to the newly constructed Wanganui River Reserve's "Tieke Hut" which is about 22kms upstream from Pipiriki. On Monday, two ranger jet boats — one from Lands and Survey, the other from Pipiriki Jet Boat Tours — returned the 24-strong party to Pipiriki from where they headed home.