Taupo's Volcanic Activity Centre at Wairakei is on the move to Turangi. Photo / File
Taupo's Volcanic Activity Centre at Wairakei is on the move to Turangi. Photo / File
Taupo's Volcanic Activity Centre at Wairakei is on the move to Turangi.
The shift to the Turangi i-Site Visitor Centre later this year heralds a new lease of life for the long-established privately-owned tourist attraction which was under threat of permanent closure.
Taupo couple Liz and Dave Wallace, who have owned and operated the centre for the past 14 years, said they were thrilled to have found a home for it in Turangi.
The couple were almost out of options and ready to close the doors for good after failing to find anywhere suitable to relocate after being given notice that GNS would not be renewing the lease.
They said the opportunity to set up in the back of the renovated Turangi i-Site was a perfect solution.
"The volcanic centre is all about the area that we live in and I felt we had to keep going and couldn't just shut down," said Mrs Wallace.
She said the centre was a great wet weather option and they were looking forward to working in with existing attractions like the Tongariro National Trout Centre and local tourist operators to get visitors stopping over in Turangi.
Liz and Dave Wallace.
The Wairakei attraction was originally opened in 1995 as a volcanic and geothermal education centre next to the Wairakei Research Centre. It was owned and operated by the then Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (IGNS).
The centre was sold to private owners in 1995 who re-named it the Volcanic Activity Centre and leased the building from GNS.
Mr Wallace, a local real estate agent, and his wife ended up buying the attraction and taking on the lease after he listed the centre for sale in 2003.
"I thought it was an awesome place with interesting subject matter that was relevant to our area, mentioned it to Liz and we ended up buying it," he said.
Mrs Wallace, who had spent most weekdays at the centre, said it was pretty daunting at the time.
"I wasn't sure what I was getting into but have really embraced it."
The couple developed it further as a visitor attraction and an education facility featuring an earthquake simulator, geyser display, live seismograph and a host of interactive displays about the Taupo volcanic zone, including a small theatre.
They have also added information about the 2007 Mt Ruapehu lahar along with other recent natural disasters including the Christchurch earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. On average the centre has about 15,000 to 20,000 visitors a year including domestic and international visitors and school groups.
It was recognised by NCEA as an educational resource and had also attracted sponsorship from the Earthquake Commission.
Mrs Wallace said they had held off doing any major upgrades in recent years because of the uncertainty about what would happen when the lease expired.
She said the existing displays, including the striking corrugated iron volcano facade at the entrance to the building, would be shifted to Turangi.
The Volcanic Activity Centre is open until the end of the school holidays, closing the doors on July 24, and planning to re-open at the Turangi i-Site in October.
