New quad complete

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 3, 16 June 1987, Page 5

New quad complete

Turoa's new quad chairlift was completed and checked last week and is now just waiting for the snow to arrive. The chairlift was finished by Tuesday last week in time for Bob Goodchild from the Marine Department of the Ministry of Transport to test the safety systems on the lift and give it a certificate of mechanical fitness. This involved loading the chairs with 500 sandbags to simulate a maximum load of 20 tonnes and checking the braking systems and anti-roll back systems. The construction crew who worked on the Doppelmayr quad were looking forward to a well earned break after the lift was finished, having worked nine to ten hours a day, six days a week since January to have the lift completed in time for the ski season. Turoa's summer maintenance crew, led by Merv Moses, helped out at various stages of the construction, including rock work earlier on and on the test day loading the sandbags onto the chairs. Turoa's maintenance supervisor David Inkster was responsible for the wiring and safety circuits on the chairlift. The lift is the longest of its type in New Zealand,

stretching 1 .3 kilometres and rising 300 metres above the carpark. Turoa offered the naming rights for the lift to various New Zealand companies with Tip Top taking up the offer. They have chosen Movenpick as its permanent name which is taken from a new line of gourmet food to be released by Tip Top during the winter. Mountain manager Robin Foubister said he was impressed with the new lift and Doppelmayr's workmanship. "Turoa really looks like an international skifield now with the two chairlifts rising from the base area" he said.