Adventures with Plateau Guides

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 31, 24 December 1985, Page 10 (Supplement)

Adventures with Plateau Guides

Plateau Guides Ltd, working from Raurimu, is a young company but it is enriched with a wealth of experience. This professional guiding company, which has been operating for about a year, offers a wide range of exciting outdoor activities including: •ski-touring, for which mountaineering skis, safety equipment, transport to and from the skifield and lunch are supplied; •rock climbing at the Top of the Bruce and the Mangatepopo Valley; •canoeing and kayaking on Lake Taupo and the Wanganui River; •white water rafting using 2.75m (nine foot) boats on the Whakapapanui River, and bigger boats elsewhere, such as the Tongariro and the Rangitikei; •caving; •horse-trekking. All four directors of the company are widely experienced. Tony and Golin Parker worked at the Outdoor Pursuits Centre, Liz' Argue worked at Outward Bound, and Andrew Smith was with Alpine Guides at Mt Cook for 10 years. All are adamant that in any outdoor activities they organise that the enjoyment of the adventure is paramount. "If you are not enjoying it then it is a waste of time doing it — you do not have to be a Graeme Dingle or an Ed Hillary to take part in our trips, everything is within the limits of reasonably fit people," said Tony. Plateau Guides have the attitude that the outdoors is to be enjoyed, but they feel that those who use the outdoors have the responsibility to know what they are doing. "We are not.going to put people at risk — we are wellprepared and always put safety and enjoyment at the top of the list." Tony and Colin have strong feelings about the New Zealand land, its care and preservation. They came to New Zealand during their primary school years and when their parents did not like it, went back to London. "It was a real shock to go back after New Zealand — we went to a London school where there were 250 skinheads - after a week we knew it was a mistake and we came back here again," said Colin. Tony and Colin went to Wainuiomata College where they learned their first lessons of the outdoors in the Orongorongo hills behind the school.

They now want to build on their experience of the outdoors and pass on some of that experience to others. One of Plateau Guides' highlights is a one-day trip in small rafts down the Whakapapanui River. For $70 you get an experience of a lifetime rafting down the river's narrow slit gorge which can only be negotiated by raft, and which is unique to the area. Plateau Guides are flexible and can organise a trip to suit all needs. Organised trips range from half-day to five days and if you don't fit into that, ring them, and they will do their best to accommodate you.