What a nice surprise to find on Harvey’s facebook – Pip’s pots.

Harvey is the famous “Trout Man” from Rotorua who was well known for many years for his fishing reports in the NZ Herald.  ( He explains his new retirement lifestyle in a short video below) For a change of pace now and then he sneaks down to the Tongariro River.  Sad to report on this trip he rolled his ankle on the stones so had to limp home early.  We all hope you are recuperating well Harvey.

(Most Tongariro anglers know all about sprained ankles – I am up to my 4th replacement!)

Harvey wrote:

“Pip’s garden welcomes visitors to the Best Little Fishing Motel in the Universe, which is the Tongariro River Motel run by Ross and Pip Baker on the main road in Turangi. The daffodils and violas are a welcome sight for anglers returning from the river.  A lot of hard work well done Pip.”

As Harvey suggests the annual display of pots (With a BIG thank you to Faye for all the blue pots) heralding Spring with daffodils and violas etc. are so important.

TRM cannot mention the gardens and landscaping efforts without acknowledging and thanking Wendy Godkin who turns our overgrown winter gardens into her Spring project every year planting out bulbs etc.  A great effort.

Many thanks Wendy – that is her on right when SWMBO gives her some time off..

TRM could be described as an ‘older’ relaxed friendly style of motel true to the 1950-1960 period vintage – probably a bit like the owners…..  Tongariro River Motel was the first motel in Turangi developed from a caravan park in 1959 so the 1960’s period style structures need some help these days if we want to impress visitors.

But most of TRM’s inmates’ priorities – apart from a warm spacious affordable accommodation – is more about what volume is the Tongariro flowing at and where are the latest hot spots for trout fishing and which flies are doing the business.  They have their priorities firmly in order.

Some might consider the units as old, whilst SWMBO prefers to think of them as retro and now coming back in cool groovy funky fashion due to their honest maturity and spacious style.  Of course, She will believe anything…

So you will now realise Her pots and gardens are part of SWMBO’s management strategy to distract attention away from any obsolescence factors and more than compensate for any deficiencies in appearance.

Harvey identifies with that too – he concurs they are a lovely distraction to take attention away from the older buildings.  She is so clever.

Some guests might imagine the motel units are obsolete but, truth is, so are most of our inmates.  More ‘mature’ anglers can associate better with that 1960’s period.

i.e. I do not know of any other motels which feature built in ironing boards – hidden behind a door in the living rooms of the larger units, they fold out from the wall.

I am surprised not more motels have them as they are so practical – mostly used for drying waders…

So we hope you get the picture.

Thank you Harvey.

Old aerial image below shows what TRM looked like in 1960.  Taupahi Road was the main road.  It has changed a little since then.  The landscaping has improved.  Unit 1 was the village shop.  Beyond the rear boundary is now SH1.  This was before the house was built and Piri Road formed along the northern boundary to link with SH1.