Waimarino Bulletin

The Waimarino district lies at the foot of Mount Ruapehu and includes the towns of Raetihi, Ohakune, Waiouru and National Park. Following the closure of the Waimarino Weekly in 1982 and the short-lived Raetihi and Ohakune News (c.1983), there was no local newspaper for the area until the first issue of the Waimarino Bulletin appeared on 31 May 1983.

The first issue explained that: '… the Bulletin will be an entirely local, self-contained Waimarino operation and enterprise … we will report on the news of the region, … the pictures will be processed locally, the artwork and assembly will be done in Ohakune, and then it will be printed, collated, folded and distributed from Raetihi …' (31 May 1983: 1)

Published weekly, its 2,500 copies were supplied free-of-charge.

Founding publisher John Sandford, born and raised in Raetihi, had begun a publishing business in 1968 producing farming magazines and tourist guides. His family connections to Raetihi and his publishing background led him to approach Ohakune resident Dennis Beytagh in March 1983 to see if together they could establish a local paper.

Better known as a graphic designer, Beytagh had moved to Ohakune in 1974 and become the local reporter for the Turangi Chronicle. He became the Bulletin's first editor.

One of the early changes to the Bulletin occurred just a year after it started when it changed to tabloid size. The larger paper size meant that it could no longer be printed in Raetihi. Instead, it was printed in Te Awamutu by the owners of the Te Awamutu Courier.

In early 1988, John Woods, an entrepreneurial journalist and publisher, purchased the paper from Sandford. Woods’ first journalistic experience had been on the Thames Star in 1970. After training in journalism he returned to the Star, then moved to the Bay of Plenty Times before a period covering Tauranga for the New Zealand Herald. In 1978 he was appointed editor of the Thames Star.

He launched the free Hauraki Herald in 1979 and during the early 1980s purchased a number of other newspapers, including the Bay Sun. His most notable publication was the founding of New Zealand Geographic in 1988.

Initial changes to the Bulletin under Woods included moving the printing to Whanganui and changing to a morning delivery. Another innovation was the publication of special holiday issues. In August 1988, the normal Bulletin was incorporated into Ruapehu ’88, which Woods described as a 'newsmagazine' that celebrated the winter holiday season. Ruapehu ’88, which ran for six issues, featured a full-colour cover and heavily promoted all things skiing.

When the final issue of the Waimarino Bulletin appeared on 14 February 1989, there was no indication that this was the final issue or that the paper’s name was changing. This was because it was a last-minute change, suggested by editor Robert Milne and agreed to by Woods and Sandford, because a new publication, based in Taumarunui, was planning to use Ruapehu in their title. By the time the Ruapehu Press launched on 7 March 1989, the Ruapehu Bulletin was already proudly displaying its new name and masthead.