Former chief ranger farewelled

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 41, 25 March 1986, Page 9

Former chief ranger farewelled

Former chief ranger at Tongariro National Park's Headquarters during the 1960s and 70s, John Mazey who retires this week was farewelled at Headquarters last Wednesday. Mr Mazey and his wife, Elizabeth, attended a twoday rangers' conference at Whakapapa Village last week and while they were there a farewell dinner was arranged for the couple. Mr Mazey started as chief ranger at Park Headquarters in 1 96 1 and continued in that position until 1974, when he and his wife moved to Wellington. Mr Mazey was appointed supervisor of the National Parks and Reserves Authority. When the Mazey family moved to Whakapapa Village in 1961 with their four young children the area was "the untidiest, rubbishridden place with no sealed roads or landscaping and the village people were mostly single transients with very few families." One of those four young Mazey children is now the assistant chief ranger at Whakapapa. As chief ranger, John Mazey did everything from weed control to designing and constructing their own buildings, talking to groups and providing safety services. "My office was part of a garage about four feet wide," said Mr Mazey.

"We had a few grotty old vehicles and a grotty house. " However, as government allocations were increased and staff numbers grew, Park Headquarters developed into a structured organisation. "By the mid 1960s things really started to move and from then on everything gradually improved. We had better visitor services, more involvement in activities for visitors, we formed education groups and were ableto provide better weed control, wild animal control and boundary fencing," he said. The local community was at first very unsupportive but by the time we left the

Park, a good relationship had developed with the local people, local bodies and news media, said Mr Mazey. "We gradually got to the stage where we could claim a good working relationship with everyone." Both Mr and Mrs Mazey agree — even with all the problems they encountered — "it was still a great and stimulating place to live." All those at their farewell dinner on Wednesday were like a family, they said, with old friends from the village coming to say goodbye. Mr and Mrs Mazey will be moving from Wellington to their home in Taupo after Mr Mazey's retirement..