This cache is placed at one of my favourite spots in Hawkes bay. These falls have been created by the development of the Havelock North Power Station in 1922. In recent years they have become a very popular swimming spot with a rope swing from the falls and access to the top of the falls to jump into the water below.
Cache is a black film canister, please ensure cache is covered properly as this is a very high muggle area during summer months.
The site of the historic Havelock North hydro-electric power station, opened May 17 1922 with a 180cm high dam on top of Maraetotara Falls to give a 21.3 metre head of water.
An 0.91 metre diameter concrete pipe was used as a penstock to carry water 640 metres to the power house downstream to drive a 250bhp split wheel spiral case turbine turning a 750rpm generator. The surge tower overhead takes care of the destructive water hammer when the 430 tons of water in the pipeline, moving at 7km per hour, stopped in three seconds. At peak load a three phase current was generated at 3300 volts and transmitted a distance of 9km over ten tons of copper wire on iron bark poles through “The Gap” by Te Mata Peak to Havelock North before being stepped down to a standard 230 volts. The total capacity of the scheme was about 30,000 units per month and designed to operate automatically with no resident attendant, just a service visit twice a week to lubricate machinery and clear intake screens
The 1931 earthquake did little damage to the plant and in May 1937 the hydro-electric scheme was purchased by the Hawke’s Bay Electric Power Board who ran the plant until 1941 when a lightning surge damaged the generator.