50 years a skier...

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 19, 7 October 1986, Page 16

50 years a skier...

Last week we recounted the first part of the story of Angus Manson, who has been skiing for 50 years. This week concludes his story.

The Wellington earthquake of 1942, which devastated Porirua Hospital, changed everything. The Chateau, along with Wairakei Hotel, closed and became a replacement hospital almost overnight. The manager and kitchen staff were retained arid Angus was asked to stay on to work for the hosDital. Tourists still came to ski and Angus conducted them up the mountain. He also had his one and only experience of army command when he took soldiers from 24th Field Ambulancetothe Crater Lake. He also conducted parties of American soldiers to the Crater Lake. Angus also enjoyed taking 30 single nurses working at the hospital skiing, tramping and fishing. Perhaps inevitably as one of the two eligible bachelors at the Chateau he ended up marrying one of them. The wedding took place in Taurewa Hall in the small milling settlement 12 miles from the Chateau on 1 January 1945. The hall still stands.

Angus was close at hand when first signs of what was to be the 1945 eruption of Ruapehu began. In October 1944, he and two others were moving up the glacier to the Crater Lake intending tc ski down again. "Suddenly the mountain erupted with a mighty bang and a huge dark cloud floated over. Shortly after hail started falling and covered the mountain with ash, and a good day's skiing was spoiled!" The mountain quietened until early 1945. In March Angus and his wife Marge watched a steaming island bubble to the surface of the lake. Soon the whole lake was filled and the surrounding area was covered in black ash . Angus who was mobile and on the spot became a newspaper correspondent and filed many reports on the eruption. Although activity receded the hospital patients had to move from the Chateau as water supplies were polluted. Angus's efforts to promote a ski hire business

came to nothing about this time so he went driving bulldozers in the bush near Owhango. Also about this time Ted Pearce put in the first rope tow at the Top o' the Bruce and Angus ran bus trips of skiers from Taumarunui. In 1951 Angus and his wife moved from the district to Te Puke where they spent the next two decades. Angus worked as a bush contractor and still skied as time and finances allowed. Then, after recovering from the shock of his wife's death 15 years ago, Angus decided to take life by the

scruff and took to the road in his Commer van. Since then he has led the life of an itinerant, visiting and skiing many of his old haunts such as Coronet Peak, Wanaka, the Hermitage, Mt Hector and the new Rainbow skifield. For much of the season however he is still based at his beloved Whakapapa where he skis all he can. Fifty years is a long time but Angus Mason is not ready yet to stack his skis on the rack.