Taihape Nz Gum Boot Capital of the World

I came to know Taihape in the north island of nz Quite well. I can remember my first visit their . I was 22 years of age and was a manager,of a privately owned, rather large sheep and cattle farming
complex with quite a few farms in the Waikato. We did not breed our own store stock supply until about ( 8 ) years later when we bought two reasonabley size sheep and cattle stations . You might think I was a bit young and have put in my wrong age . The age is correct and already had been moved up rapidly from the age of ( 17 ) assistant manager by nineteen . I was in all with this farming complex , ( 14 years )and was given more and more management work to do .I had a ton of energy in those days . not like I am now ,about down to a quarter of then , any way thats digressing
In my first visit to the sale yards in Taihape. Their was a cold wind coming off the mountains and I mean cold cold !!! I was dressed with heavy working clothes that could last any weather plus my swan dry . woolley head gear plus my Managerial broad rimmed hat. To my surprise quite a few of the yard workers were running around in the bush singlets and no problem at all . I must admitt some of them looked Like bears with a lot of long hair on the exposed parts and none were clean shaven I nearly died that day it was so bl#!~!#% Y cold . A bit of history needed I think about Taihape, not me
Taihape was established in 1894 and its history has been well documented in a publication by Denis Robertson “… give me TAIHAPE on a Saturday night???. The Taihape museum is also very interesting and leaves you with an idea about how life was in those early days!
The first record of a European to the region is William Colenso's visit in 1845. In 1884, the surveyor's party for the Main Trunk railway line cut a rough track through the district.

It is difficult to imagine now but the whole area was covered in dense bush on steep hill county. The altitude is 442 metres above sea level. That, combined with lying in a basin ensured that the winters were snowy and icy and the summers very hot.
The first settlers arrived in Taihape in 1894. second wave of pioneering families would set out for the isolated, rugged hinterland of the North Island. This ‘move’ was initiated by the Farm Improvement Settlement Scheme. Today the town has regrown and is quite a thriving community and once a year they have a competition ," Throwing of the gum boots "' You have to be able to throw a gumboot a very long way to hit the prize money . If you are down their when its on --- Have a go - its real fun .
Over the years Taihape grew steadily and a major influence on the town was the Main Trunk Line. The government had long planned for it to come through Taihape. As it advanced northward from Wellington, many of the towns ahead of it boomed – and died. But not Taihape!
The railway benefited Taihape in several ways.If you want to have a break their , pick the summer time ' the following details will assist you if you want to know more
Taihape Information Centre: 06 3880 604 - email: taihapeinfo@rangitikei.govt.nz

I could tell quite a few stories about around the waikato and king country . I have not always been a laid back settled down oldish Gran pop Ok enough of this self talk .
Till we meet again -Regards -edmondsallan