From pearl harbour, which is adjacent to manapouri township, you can organise a lake cruise or a tour of the west arm underground power station. Lake manapouri is the second deepest lake in new zealand and has a large hydro power station at the end of its west arm. Second manapouri tailrace tunnel we are generating energy. Manapouri new zealand travel manapouri nz information. This local community group targets pest plants around the manapouri township to protect the environment and nearby national park. One of the highlights of the current national library gallery exhibition manapouri. They blasted a 20km road out of the mountains over wilmot pass. The manapouri hydroelectric power station is located on the west arm of lake manapouri, with most of the electricity generated serving the tiwai point aluminium smelter. Doubtful sound sea kayaking, fiordland national park go. Dec 19, 2007 on board the wanganella at the national library gallery. Men from more than 40 nationalities worked together to bore a 10km tunnel through the mountains between lake manapouri and doubtful sound, where the wanganella was moored. The early years were fraught with challenges, including the construction of the manapouri power station halting operations.
Manapouri power station indepth story july 2012 youtube. The men drilled and blasted a sixmile tunnel and cathedralsized power hall in extreme conditions with the cost of the lives of sixteen workers. Explore the geographical history of manapouri, from deep fiords carved many thousands of years ago to huge glimmering. There is also a visit included to the manapouri power station by coach before returning to queenstown. Hoover dams initial 1,345 mw power station was the worlds largest hydroelectric power station in 1936. You can meet us in either queenstown, te anau or manapouri for your doubtful sound overnight cruise experience. Manapouri is a small town in southland fiordland, in the southwest corner of the south island, in new zealand. Manapouri is a beautiful, mostly untouched, region of southern new zealand where the amazing powers of nature remain largely untouched by man. At the manapouri lakeview motor inn we offer affordable accommodation in a unique, spectacular setting with a. An indepth articlebrochure on the manapouri area and the construction of the manapouri power station, released during the early part of the construction. Picnic lunch options must be preordered te anau coach connections depart real.
Facilitiescommercial services include a petrol station garage, art gallery, cafes, shops, two restaurant and bars as well as overnight hotel, motel and motor camp accommodations. Manapouri power station had a long history and was built only after considerable controversy. Doubtful sound overnight cruise with fiordland cruises. At 850 mw installed capacity although limited to 800 mw due to resource consent limits 3, it is the largest hydroelectric power station in new zealand, and the second largest power station in new zealand. A boat cruise of lake manapouri also enables you to get to some remote short walks on department of conservation tracks inaccessible by any other means. New zealand highlights tour st3520 about australia. The only external signs are the aboveground control building, a switchyard and two sets of transmission lines that loop. The construction of this power station was one of new zealands greatest engineering achievements, with the majority of the work completed underground in a remote location. At 850 mw installed capacity although limited to 800 mw due to resource consent limits, it is the largest hydroelectric power station in new zealand, and the second largest power station in new zealand. The town of manapouri is the departure point for all doubtful sound trips. The original plans for manapouri power station development in the 1950s involved raising lake manapouri by up to 30 metres, and merging lakes manapouri and te anau.
On board the wanganella at the national library scoop news. The national campaign to stop the government from raising the water level in the scenically spectacular lake manapouri for a hydro dam is widely credited with the awakening of environmental. Manapouri underground power station is nzs largest hydroelectric power station, located deep beneath fiordland. Lake manapouri cruise and underground power station.
Ferry towards doubtful sound lake manapouri, south. Art, power, protest is a series of photographs that. Enjoy a cruise on lake manapouri and a tour of the station. Manapouri is a special place of peace and serenity, where the bounty of the natural world is preserved for all to enjoy. The final design, construction and operation of the manapouritiwai point electroindustrial complex, coming as it did at the end of some 65 years of government policy formulation, should have been a significant first step away from new zealands economic dependence upon the export of primary produce to the united kingdom. Manapouri the toughest tunnel dvd nhnz and tvnz quick overview new zealand. It can also give you access to a trip around manapouri power station, a fascinating tour of a hydroelectric underground power. History of lake manapouri early maori around lake manapouri. Hydroelectricity is electricity produced from hydropower. Workers at the power plant are ferried by boat from manapouri. Describing new zealands biggest civil engineering project the manapouri power project of the 1960s.
Over looking new zealands most beautiful lake manapouri is a 15km scenic drive from te anau. Lunch options and complimentary tea and coffee are available on the vessel. Her sister moturua went looking for her and when she found koronae she realised that koronae could not be rescued. Your past kayaking experiences wont even come close to what youre about to witness. Huntly power station and the history of environmentalism in new zealand.
Workers at the power plant are ferried by boat from manapouri, as there is no road access to the power station. They hollowed a huge cave out of the hard rock at the lakes west arm and built a power station in it. Embark on an adventure like no other, immerse yourself and experience the serenity. Manapouri power station portobello, new zealand tour. Its one of new zealands greatest engineering achievements, producing an enormous amount of clean electricity from the power of water, so well worth taking a look at. Several tracks start on the eastern shores of lake manapouri. Mar 29, 20 the construction of this power station was one of new zealands greatest engineering achievements, with the majority of the work completed underground in a remote location.
The manapouri power station is the largest hydro power station in new zealand with a maximum output of 800 megawatts. The manapouri power station is an underground hydroelectric power station owned and operated by meridian energy limited. Tucked away at the far end of lake manapouri, and out of view from manapouri village, is the manapouri underground power station, which you can visit by boat trip from manapouri. Keenly interested in fiordland national park issues, les and olive hutchins joined fellow conservationists in the successful fight against the proposed raising of lakes te anau and manapouri for power generation. Almost as difficult was the twelve miles of road building needed to link the top of the tunnel with its outlet at sea level. The save manapouri campaign, which commenced in 1959, later came to manifest the international awareness of the environment that came with the prosperity of the 1960s. Manapouri lakeview motor inn accommodation cafe bar. The underground power station was opened in 1971 and is the largest hydroelectric power station in new zealand.
Lake manapouri is 440 metres deep in places and has 33 islands. It is the countrys largest hydroelectric power station and is unique in that nearly all of it is built underground. Doubtful sound is commonly referred to as the sound of silence. Manapouri power station completed in 1971, manapouri power station is an underground power station on the west arm of lake manapouri in the south islands fiordland national park.
Huntly power station and the history of environmentalism in new zealand jo whittle1 introduction the megawatt mw huntly thermal power station was built on the lower waikato river from 1973 to 1983. The township, with a permanent population of 400, is situated on the pristine shores of its namesake, lake manapouri, a popular destination during the summer months when visitors come to soak up the sunshine and calm waters. Lake manapouri south island 2020 all you need to know. This massive undertaking involved a hundreds strong international workforce. Manapouris giant underground hyrdo power project of the. Save manapouri campaign project gutenberg selfpublishing. Manapouri trip planner plan your manapouri vacation. The itaipu dam opened in 1984 in south america as the largest, producing 14 gw, but was surpassed in 2008 by the three gorges dam in china at 22. Manapouri trip planner plan your manapouri vacation itinerary.
We can book any trips here and we have ample overnight parking and can arrange pickups by companies. Apr 05, 2014 manapouri village receives 1 metre of rain a year but over at west arm the rainfall rises to 4 metres and at deep cove it reaches 9 metres. Station info constructing the manapouri power station. With 850 megawatt mw installed capacity, it is new zealands largest hydroelectric power station. There is an optional tour to the manapouri underground power station. Borland road is packed full of amazing sights and stories as it runs along the power lines fed by the manapouri power station, deep in the fiordland national park. More than 40,000 people a year take the boat trip over lake manapouri to marvel at the power station, and are then bussed over wilmot pass for a refreshing cruise on the still waters of doubtful sound. The most expensive road per metre built to transport the power station equipment from the sound to lake manapouri hydro plant is equally fascinating. Many years ago, as a child, i was lucky enough to go on a tour of a hydro electric power station. A detailed report on the countrys hydroelectric potential was prepared in 1904 by p s hay and was presented to parliament appended to the public works statement.
A lesson not learnt lake manapouri envirohistory nz. It is the largest hydroelectric power station in new zealand. Available from nationwide book distributors ltd, nz. Manapouri hydro power station in the 1960s plans were proposed to build a massive hydro power station that would artificially raise the level of the lake by 12 metres, this would have created a super lake joining it with lake te anau in the north, it would have destroyed much of manapouris sunning scenery. Koronae journeyed deep into the forest one day only to become stranded after a fall. Reproduced from a pdf photocopy of the brochure original file 7. Located at the edge of the fiordland national park, on the eastern shore of lake manapouri, close to its outflow into the waiau river, tourist. Manapouri, southland, fiordland, nz lots to see and do. According to maori legend lake manapouri was created by the tears of two sisters, moturua and koronae, who were daughters of an old chief in the region. Manapouri township, the gateway to both doubtful sound and dusky sound, is a 20 minute drive from te anau, the hub of fiordland. As we were in manapouri i wanted my children to have the same opportunity and so we took the manapouri power station tour, nzs biggest hep plant. The manapouri underground power station, at west arm, is considered new zealands greatest engineering feat.
At manapouri you will board a scenic cruise across lake manapouri 50minute cruise to west arm. Manapouri power station information article nz history. Manapouri power station is an impressively large underground hydroelectric power station on the western arm of lake manapouri in fiordland national park. You will also have the opportunity to explore short walks on foot, getting up close and personal with the native fiordland forest. Manapouri underground power station new zealand youtube. At west arm you will see the aboveground sections of the manapouri power station, an underground hydroelectric power station which is capable of generating up to 850 mw using water from lakes te anau and manapouri. It is a popular tourist destination, particularly during the summer months. The information centre described by wlnz has the history of construction and a modeldiorama of the plant. We trust you enjoy your adventure in the spectacular and beautiful fiordland. The countrys prosperity, he told the meeting, was balanced on too narrow a base. Hard to imagine what goes on underground beneath the manapouri power station a few years ago, i was lucky enough to be able to partake in a tour through the underground power station. Completed in 1971, manapouri power station is an underground power station on the west arm of lake manapouri in the south islands fiordland national park. Dont miss the wharf area as it is so beautiful and has stunning reflections of the mountains in the water. Lake manapouri was a highlight of our sth island trip.
Take a step back in time when you enter manapouri new zealand. The roughhewn access road spirals 2 km down into the mountain to the vast generator room. The largest activity in manapouri is an unforgettable cruise to doubtful sound. The save manapouri campaign was an environmental campaign waged between 1959 and 1972 in new zealand to prevent the raising of the levels of lakes manapouri and te anau as part of the construction of the manapouri power project. Manapouri new zealand history information and historical places.
Dec 09, 2009 a lesson not learnt lake manapouri december 9, 2009 december 29, 2010 bff editorial team in his history of conservation in new zealand, our islands, our selves, david young provides us with an anecdote that illustrates that the way we understand and value our environment does not always develop following an upwards trajectory through time. Evidence of maori occupation has been found at most inlets, beaches and islands around lake manapouri. Today, manapouri underground power station is a tourist attraction. Manapouri power station is an underground hydroelectric power station on the western arm of lake manapouri in fiordland national park, in the south island of new zealand. Manapouri power station is an underground hydroelectric power station on the. In the 1960s plans were proposed to build a massive hydro power station that would artificially raise the level of the lake by 12 metres, this would have created a super lake joining it with lake te anau in the north, it would have destroyed much of manapouri s sunning scenery. On march 5, 1959, charles turner, engineerinchief of the ministry of works, addressed the southland progress league in invercargill. The hydro power station is located underground, with the station s generating units housed in a cavern excavated from rock 200 metres below the surface of lake manapouri. Ferry towards doubtful sound lake manapouri, south island. History of benmore power station in new zealand meridian duration. Manapouri underground power station tour real journeys. Second manapouri tailrace tunnel fletcher construction.
In a year it produces enough energy for about 619,000 average new zealand homes which is more than rd of the number of homes in nz as at end of 2014. Doubtful sound overnight cruise kiwis fly the coop. Environment and nature in new zealand vol 8,no 1, nov 20 7 into the backyard. Manapouri is the largest hydro power station in new zealand, and is located on the edge of lake manapouri s west arm in the fiordland national park, which has world heritage status. Over nearly 10 years, they built a huge underground power station beneath fjordlands ancient granite mountains and a large 7mile tailrace tunnel exhausting into the. The creation of the power station in 1959 improved access to doubtful sound a fiord, which you can explore by sea kayak or cruise boat. The completion of the manapouri power station in 1972 was hailed as one of the greatest engineering feats this country had ever seen. The cost of generation of ener gy after four decades.
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