Further Support for Old Coach Rd

For Immediate Release

Further Support for Old Coach Rd

Feb 7, 2004 Winstone Pulp International (WPI) has made a further donation of $2500 to the Ohakune Cobblestone Coach Road project to help meet a goal of having the historic eight kilometre road between Ohakune and Horopito opened as a public walkway.

WPI Managing Director David Anderson congratulated the Main Trunk Railroad Ohakune (MTRO) on progress to date and said WPI was delighted to continue to support a project they had been involved in since being approached by MTRO in July 2003.

“This is an imaginative, exciting idea that will add a lot to Ohakune and I’m sure will attract walkers from all over New Zealand,” he said.

“The local team are doing a superb job in advancing the project and at WPI we are very pleased to have been able to contribute to creating an asset that will now be enjoyed for generations.”

The original cobblestone road was used between 1906 and 1908 by passengers on what was a three-day overland journey between Auckland and Wellington to connect the railheads at Ohakune and Raurimu by stage coach.

Welcoming the latest contribution from WPI, MTRO Chairman Bob Norling said: “Walkers on this road will get a taste of what early New Zealand was like while also enjoying some superb scenery.

“There are not many opportunities like this left in New Zealand and we’ve been delighted with the terrific support we’ve had from WPI in working towards our deadline of opening the road again in time for its 100th anniversary in 2006.”

The restoration is a joint project between MTRO and the Department of Conservation with support from WPI and other community groups. This donation brings WPI’s sponsorship to $7500 for the project to date.

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About Winstone Pulp International Ltd

Based near Ohakune, WPI has operated for 26 years in forestry, milling and manufacturing pulp and sawlogs for local and overseas markets. As one of New Zealand’s leading integrated forestry companies it plays a key role in the sector’s viability by processing by-products for export as pulp. The company employs 300 staff and has built a strong export-focused business maximising regional resources.

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