Source: Radio New Zealand
[L1] Waimarino business owners hope for forecast rain
[L1] Concern tourists might cancel bookings
[L1] Wall of smoke provides spectacular but unwelcome backdrop to village.
A wall of smoke from the Tongariro National Park fire is providing a spectacular but worrying vista for a central plateau village.
The blaze has burned through up to 2500 hectares and is 20 percent contained.
Residents and business owners in nearby Waimarino are nervously watching on.
A long-term closure of the popular Tongariro crossing would keep away tourists – the area’s lifeblood.
It would be a stinging blow after tough years of Covid and then uncertainty over who would operate the ski fields on Mt Ruapehu.
Smoke rises into the sky, as seen from Waimarino Village on Sunday. RNZ/ Jimmy Ellingham
Well into the evening on Sunday there was a constant hum of helicopters and planes fighting the imposing wall of smoke that loomed over Waimarino, formerly National Park.
Tour guide Stu Barclay, who owns Adrift Tongariro, took a group part-way up Mt Ruapehu on Sunday morning, before the access road was closed.
“The smoke was blowing upwards and the flames – when you saw the planes and the helicopters dispersing their water on the flames they were like midges on an elephant. They were tiny, so the flames must have been three to 10 metres tall.
“It was incredible.”
Tour guide Stu Barclay says he’s never seen anything like this blaze in more than 25 years of operating in the area. RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
The group had a bird’s eye view of the fire, although initially some were disappointed they couldn’t walk the Tongariro Crossing.
“Tongariro’s really famous, so we talked to them about Ruapehu being similar but different.
“Their disappointment soon changed to excitement when they saw the fire from that angle. It was just terrifyingly exciting.”
He hopes forecast rain douses the flames so there’s no repeat of 2012, when the crossing was closed for weeks after a volcanic eruption.
He had also thought about what items were important at home to grab in case a quick evacuation was required.
Further stress after tough winter
At Adventure Lodge and Motels, owner Gillian Visser has had guests leave early or cancel – she reckons about a quarter of her immediate bookings.
It’s a devastating blow and one that’s caused her much stress.
“We’ve been through a really tough winter, financially – extremely tough. Then we get all this lovely fine weather and I have never in 10 years owning this lodge known of a fire like that in this area.”
She and other villagers struggle to comprehend how it could spread so fast.
Emma Klock, who works at Tongariro Crossing Lodge, also spent the day dealing with the changing plans of tourists.
“We have a lot of guests who want to do the crossing, but currently its impossible. They are little bit sad and disappointed.”
Like many locals she saw the blaze grow on Saturday evening.
“It was like a little fire and finally it grew a lot and a lot. We saw a lot of helicopters and aircraft. The siren rang lots of times.”
She’s returning in a few days to her home in France and hoped to walk the crossing one last time, but it wasn’t to be.
The view of the fire from the slopes of Mt Ruapehu on Sunday morning. SUPPLIED
Tourists change plans
The village on Sunday was busy with people deciding their next moves.
Kaspar, Christian and Andreas, from Denmark, went up Mt Ruapehu before the access road was closed.
They were to have walked the Tongariro Crossing, but described the awe-inspiring sight of seeing the flames.
A group of four from Taiwan, David Chen, Judy Ho, Jerry Cheng and Jessica Lee, also had to adjust their plans.
Their tour guide took them on an alternative walk to the crossing, which they said was beautiful, so they weren’t too disappointed.
Connor de Bruyn, from Wellington, was on a guided walk up Mt Ruapehu yesterday morning, but the group had to avoid the summit and turn around early. The gondola was also suddenly closed yesterday.
He said a lot of the land was sacred to local iwi, so they’d feel a cultural loss.
Connor de Bruyn had a bird’s eye view of the blaze from Mt Ruapehu. RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Many State Highway 4 motorists were stopping to take photos or look at the plumes of smoke rising next to Mt Ruapehu – including Megan from Raetihi.
“It’s looking like it’s dispersed a bit more now,” she said yesterday afternoon, while sipping a coffee and looking towards the blaze.
“It was actually quite condensed when we were looking at it from Raetihi. Here, it’s looking like it’s quite spread out.”
‘What the heck can go wrong next?’
Businesses along the road have a front-row vantage point – but it’s not one they relish.
“Pretty much we can see the aerial fight that’s on and big clouds of smoke that look like an eruption,” said Jason Thompson, duty manager at Schnapps bar. There, the usually spectacular views of the plateau’s three cones have largely disappeared behind the fire.
He said locals were keeping a close eye on developments. “We could do without a big fire around here.”
Charm Thai food truck owner Nithian Barnett agreed.
She saw fire trucks rush past on Saturday and then noticed the smoke growing steadily bigger.
“I hope they’re going to stop the fire by [today] and let’s pray the rain’s coming and it’s going to be gone.”
Eivins Ski and Board rental owner Marie Lynghaug said as a former restaurant owner she was thinking of volunteering to make food for the firefighters if the blaze continued.
“You just wonder what the heck can go wrong next?
“This is truly devastating. It’s a world heritage national park. The tourists are only just coming back after Covid.
“As much as there are other things to do, it’s the Tongariro Crossing that is the key for people to come to the district.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
