After some years of planning then construction, the Ohakune Borough Council commissioned a Hydro Electric Power station to serve the town in 1914.
The station operated two turbines, connected to two 60kVA alternators – enough to supply lights and small appliances for the community.
These turbines were driven by water from a channel that diverted the Mangawhero stream into a 700 metre long wood and concrete flume, starting at a dam over the road from the modern-day Powderhorn Chateau building.
A third, diesel-driven 140kVA alternator was installed in 1922, to handle dry periods when the river was low. At around this time a weir was also constructed upstream of the intake, past the existing railway bridge to store water in an ancient crater, for occasional release when needed. If you visit nearby cache GC9FX70 you will be taken to the remains of the headworks and see another historic industrial location.
When you stand at the waypoint, history is in front of you – the green iron-clad family home you see is the actual 1914 power station building, converted to a dwelling well after the station closed in 1958.
At the time of laying this cache (2021), when looking up the hill above the station building, you could see the significant concrete headworks structure of the power station. This had two protruding steel penstock pipes cut off, a third (never-used) penstock fitting with mounting bolts, and a rectangular channel on the left where the water excess water spilled over into a flume down to the stream should the generators shut down suddenly. Sadly in mid 2021 the site of the headworks was sold and the developer immediately destroyed these historic remains.
Unfortunately most of the historic concrete has been removed and the site on the hill above may soon be hidden a modern home.
Another event that happened during the investigation was better though. A local history group erected a display sign at the power station, providing an informative display and easy hidey-hole for the box.
It is very important you push the tube well back out of sight when you return it, so passers-by don’t see it!
The old power station building and headworks are private property now. The cache is accessed from the public footpath – no need to step on any grass area, or into a driveway.
Logging Recommendations
This cache, (like most of Radionut50’s hides) is NOT meant to be hard to find – so logs saying ‘easy find’ are pretty meaningless. The reason for this hide is to introduce you to this piece of our country’s great history , so logs commenting on your experience are very welcome. You are also invited to crack the hint as you arrive, to reduce the chance of a prolonged search compromising the hide in this very public place.