A history of ski field and ski lodge rubbish: Tongariro National Park

TNP ski field and ski lodge rubbish was an issue sorted somewhat in the late 70s, early 80s by staff at Whakapapa.  I recall the TNP engineer, Mike Cattley, assisted ably by Mike Rodgers, built what I think may have been the final version rubbish hopper when I was there. 'Chippie' Chris Chapman built the timber frame at Iwikau. 

Park attendants Eddie Barlow and co, did the 'Rubbish Run' and soon found that hot embers from the lodge fire places ignited the rubbish and warped the mild-steel doors so that they became impossible to close.

Comment from Ian Blackmore:

All part of the 'messy' history of rubbish from the mountain ladges.  In 1960 the park provided raised platforms (to keep the rubbish above the snow), no fences or sides so that rubbish was blown all over the place.  i suggested to the Park Board secretary that we needed closed-in trailers with lids which eventually came about and improved the situation.  They were built without springs which was not so good. 

At one stage empty bottles were set aside messily to be sold for Ski Patrol funds.  Incidentally I heard one of the ex-inmates from Waikuni Prison on talkback one night saying he could get drunk on the dregs from the bottles whilst going down the Bruce Road. Inmates were used for rubbish collection and some other jobs at times.  They had experts with explosives experience available at times for excavating the old, long-drop toilets holes on the ski field.