Hoilday season a mixed bag

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 32, 21 January 1986, Page 3

Hoilday season a mixed bag

The Christmas season for Ohakune shops was quite staisfactory according to Val Parkes, an Ohakune retailer. She said that the activities during the week before Christmas were very well supported and attracted many to the shops and in the end business was about the same as recent years. Mrs Parkes said it was very disappointing that the Tongariro National Park Summer Nature Programme had been reduced to just one week in Ohakune. "There are far fewer visitors as a result and many who have come are quite disturbed that the programme has been cut. "Old people particularly are concerned as they will often not venture out on walks unless there are guides," she said. Mrs Parkes said the very wet weather early in January had also put people off. She said it was a pity there was . no transport to take people from the Turoa side of the mountain to Whakapapa where there was a more extensive summer programme. Raetihi Mayor Garrick Workman said that he thought most Raetihi retailers had a reasonable Christmas given the prevailing economic circumstances. He said the Christmas activities and the market day had been a great success and, as well as good promotion for the town, provided entertainment for the town's children. He thought the town should look at holding at least one other market day over the coming year, and if a freedom of the borough ceremony for 4 Supply Company Waiouru was held it would be a good idea to combine the two. Catherine Dodd of the Ruapehu Information Centre reported that there were 478 visitors to the centre

from 26 December to 10 January while for the same period last year, there were nearly 600. "Most of the enquiries were about tramping, fishing, and the summer programme, though many were irate when they found there were no baths in Ohakune to swim in," said Mrs Dodd. Bad weather early in January also reduced outdoor activities and made rivers impassable. David McEwen, operating superintendent of the Tongariro Generation Group, said the normal flow on the Tongariro River is between 0 to 10 cumetres per second while in early January it measured 1000 cumetres per second, the second highest since 1958. The high level of the river meant that Ohakune-based Ruapehu Outback Adven-

tures had to cancel rafting trips for five days. Owner of the company Sue Allomes also felt that the reduction in the summer programme meant fewer visitors using their services. Colin Parker, co-director of Plateau Guides in Raurimu, said they had to turn many people away because

of the bad weather, however business was better than last year which was their first summer. Both the Raetihi Hotel and Ohakune Court Motel had a steady flow of visitors. According to Iris Parr, manageress of the Raetihi Hotel, more people were stopping who realised there was more to do in the area than winter sports. She said that visitors came to hunt, tramp, fish, and participate in the summer nature programme. During the nine-day summer nature programme based at the Ohakune Ranger Station, six of the 13 planned trips were cancelled due to poor weather, said senior ranger Lisle Irwin. Both Crater Lake walks were cancelled and for four days there were none of the planned activities, but two alternative trips were organised. This year only 165 peopile attended Ohakune 's summer nature programme compared with 2086 last year, though 1053 of those attended evening talks or the children's programme, which were not on the programme this year. Mr Irwin said he is fairly confident that the programme will be back to the level of previous years by next summer. "We are working towards getting it back to normal and hoping," he said.