After over 20 years of posting fishing reports and tourist news, the last week has been an interesting exercise for us to realise how many read these confounded Fb blogs. In the last four weeks, TRM’s Facebook has attracted over 500,000 views, mostly on this issue that rose from a 14-year-old photo of a marae. Quite remarkable. The last blog alone received over 58,000 views, 26,000 viewers and 444 interactions.
As such, it has been an impossible task to reply to them all, but we think it is time to end them. Over the last week the quality of content steadily eroded to unnacceptable abuse. Sadly. instead of discussing the issue it turned into a “hate pakeha” rally. The photo at fault was taken over 14 years ago and was included in many other posts since, to add some local colour to the message, in the same way as the historic photos add to the blog today. Now, suddenly, TRM has been attacked and claimed that it was being used for “commercial” purposes. We refute that entirely. That was not and never has been the case.
Nevertheless, thank you to all the contributors. In particular, one gentleman, one of your respected kaumatua, who had the grace and common decency to call in to discuss the issues and provide your point of view in a more rational manner. He was the only one who managed to describe the Māori view in a dignified, impartial manner. Far too many resorted to rude abuse. If our views were different, that apparently was enough for them to brand us as racists. But we felt much better about it all after his visit and decided to end the topic on this website.
Any further submissions will be deleted.
(TRM in 1959 before Turangi was developed. The “CBD ” was down by the bridge. Tongariro School can just be seen top left.)
What grates the most is that they were deliberately abusing and picking on a lovely, kind, caring 82-year-old lady, my wife Pip, who manages the motel. I accept I am past it, now being almost completely deaf. The main reason we have struggled on for so long is the wonderful friendships fostered with guests who have been staying here even longer.
If you wish to continue your abusive ranting, do it on your own websites.
(1959 when I stayed in the caravan on the far left. This was before the new highway was developed at the rear of the motel and before Link Road – now Piri Road – was formed. Units 1 & 2 were the village shop)
To maintain standards of common decency, we tried to delete all the nasty comments. Other TRM inmates would not tolerate the foul language and stupidity of claims from many that were deleted. I do not apologise to them. They need to grow up. But I need to make a couple of comments to describe the absurdity and correct any misunderstandings.
To achieve their objective, some objectors posted misleading claims about the motel. That was nasty and totally unnecessary. This motel has operated here for over 65 years. There is no way that any tourist accommodation could survive if it was as foul as claimed. When they failed to argue the issues sensibly, they resorted to racist claims and slander. Their comments confirmed the education system has failed them.
(Aboce, 1950’s photos of Tongariro River Motel being illegally erected)
As an example of the misguided absurdity of their deleted arguments, they claimed we do not have their permission to use the Māori name of “Tongariro”? Therefore, neither does Tongariro School, Tongariro Rafting, Tongariro Lodge, Tongariro National Park, Tongariro Crossing, Tongariro Retreat, etc. are all illegal. Tongariro must have been misused for many years, i.e., the SS Tongariro was built beside the Waikato River, Taupō, in 1899. (Built of heart kauri. the two-masted, steam powered schooner, wood fired, provided the main transport from Tokaanu to Taupo for two decades before the road was developed around the eastern side of Lake Taupo – below.)
There is no hiding the fact that this motel is old. The owners are even older. TRM has never been tarted up but proudly retains all the old character features, i.e. we do not know of any other motel featuring fold-down ironing boards. (These days they are used more as collapsible fly-tying tables.) They add to the charm of yesteryear. Our many older, loyal repeat customers prove that the more important considerations are competitive room rates and providing a warm, cosy atmosphere with good service. But the age factor is no excuse for calling it in the derogatory abusive manner some of you described to try to destroy our reputation online. Fortunately, the vast bulk of prospective guests will see through that. There is no way we would enjoy such a high percentage of returning guests if the standards slid that low.
As an aside, we once had a visit from a council health & safety inspector acting on a complaint. We were astonished by the claims and asked to see any proof. When he showed us the photos, we realised that was not our motel, so we had great fun in leading him on a bit. The motel in question was closed down soon after and has since been refurbished to a high standard. So you will be relieved that somehow, if there is a health problem, the system does work.