Spot the changes?

Some more recent 1974 aerial photos below help to illustrate some of the changes that have been largely forgotten about.

i.e. Aerial below of houses along the Tongariro River bank shows its age by being black & white in 1974. Particularly interesting to note the vehicle access (an extension of Kokopu Street) was along the river bank where the river walk (Tongariro River Trail) now extends. Also note the paddocks and the large undeveloped land holdings back then.

The next photo of the Tongariro River below the road bridge below illustrates the extent the Tongariro River has moved east to cut off the end of Herekiekieie Street. The WRC (Waikato Regional Council) have used diggers and bulldozers to construct retaining walls along the TRB (True Right Bank or eastern bank) in recent years to try to persuade the river back to the westaern/southern side. Their engineers and consultants still imagine their futile puny attempts can control nature… Back then the river was at natural levels – before the Rangipo canal redirected most of the flow to Lake Rotoaira to be turned into $$$ income by the Tokaanu Power Station turbines.

More random hisoric Turangi photos are from before the modern Turangi town was developed.

Turangi has certainly changed over the years. We have often posted old photos of Tongariro River Motel when it started life as the local general store with a caravan park on Taupahi Road in 1959 – see below.

Below are some of the original Taupahi photos – some of which have been posted before.

Photo above of Tongariro River Motel in late 1950’s. Taupahi Road was the main north-south road. The new SH1 was developed at the rear of the motel and additional land was added adjoining Link (now Piri) Road still to be formed.