Waimarino has plenty of scope for this personality

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 273, 7 February 1989, Page 13

Waimarino has plenty of scope for this personality

profile This week the Bulletin profiles one of the Waimarino's local identities, the type of people that make up the character of the place. If you know of a Waimarino identity who needs writing about, ring the Bulletin.

Noel Shepherd doesn't believe in setting limits in life.

Instead the 38 year old local man has lived by a simple philosophy that has seen him turn his hand to all manner of trades, and excel. The one-time used bottle collector says he has tried almost every vocation, from teaching secondary school to possum trapping to building. He is a firm believer that anyone can do anything if they set their mind to it, apply themselves and read the right books. "My mother always said I would be Prime Minister," he said. "I

couldn't make up my mind whether I wanted I wanted to be Prime Minister or Pope. I've done a bit of everything." Mr Shepherd was born in Bulls and was educated there and in Palmerston North. Instead of entcring a specialised field at University, he opted to travel and spcnt 18 months in Australia working at various jobs. He returned to New Zealand at age 20 to help his brother run the family's hill country farm in the Waimarino.

While still a relative newcomer, having lived in the Waimarino since 1970, Mr Shepherd is descended from one of the first Europeans to settle on freehold land in the area. His grandfather, John Dwyer, was one member of a co-operative formed in Bulls that arrived in the Waimarino by river boat in 1892 to farm here. The 200 acre property was passed on to his fathcr, Noel Dwyer, who died in 1970. The land stayed in the family and was farmed by brother Noel and Jim until his brother's illness ir 1978 forced the sale of the land. It was while working with his brother who was a builder by profession that Noel became interested in that work. After selling the farm in 1978, he attended teachers college but says he became very disillusioned with the education system and disliked the concept of compulsory education. "School is a false environment. It's unnatural. They cause more problems than they solve," he said. Mr Shepherd has taught at Ruapehu College and maintains that it is excellent compared to other schools

he has seen, with staff who have a real interest in the pupils. "The work experience and transition programmes are excellent. Integrating the school with the community is a step in the right direction." Mr Shepherd is the first to admit that he has an opinion about everything, including how bcst to promote tourism in the Waimarino. He still maintains an interest in the area's development through the Ruapehu South Business Association though at the moment not actively involved in the group and believes there is good scope for small scale tourist operations within the region. For his own part, Mr Shepherd operates a wilderness guide service in the Tongariro National Park and on a limited basis within the Kaimanawa Forest Park.

Before branching out alone he workcd on a contract basis with locally run Venture Treks and the Auckland Climbing School. Mr Shepherd is kcen to continue with the service this season despite a "dismal" year financially last season. A period working for Turoa Skifields put him off working for large companies and he maintains that he prefers to work alone, although he admits that it can be "quite

lonely", especially when in need of technical advice on a job. Mr Shepherd describes himself as a socialist, "and at the same time an individualist, which is quite contradictory." In quiet periods between building contracts and trekking jobs he retires to his custom-built workshop to work on other projects, including small items of nursery furniture, rafting panels and fashioning items of furniture from locally grown pine. The half acre section behind his workshop is the future site of the

dream home that he and his wife Sue Davis intend to build. Mr Shepherd is enthusiastic about the Waimarino, which he says offers tremendous opportunities both recreational and career orientated. A keen skier, he has written several articles on the subject that have been published in national magazines, as well as other articles about the region. Mr Shepherd says he is keen to write a book one day. "I'd write my autobiography if I knew what it was going to be about," he jokes.