Mystery boats at Lake Taupo

MYSTERY BOATS AT LAKE TAUPO
photo ex Ken Ricketts

Ok, one for the train spotters today – Ken sent me the photo above but has know idea the location or date. His guess on the date is late 1930>1940. He also believes that Lady Ava is 3rd from the right on the hard stand.
What say the rest of you on where & which boats?

Update from Paul (& Nigel) Drake

In consultation with brother Nigel, here are some more details. Starting from the left, we have ROTHESAY – previously discussed on WW. This is Don McLeod’s “new” ROTHESAY. Behind her is MOANA (Sam Ford). Don’t know the next one. Then we have DESTINY (Coulthard) – then MOANA ROA, locally built of totara and now in Whangarei. On the slip is ARCADIA, still at Taupo. Then WAIHAHA now AVALON, now at Rotoiti as previously discussed.
Across the river we have VICTORY, built locally by Jack Taylor during WW2 without power tools, and still at Taupo (Kinloch Marina). Astern of her the 1907 Logan double ender PONUI, On the hard behind Jack Taylor’s house is EL ALEMAIN, now RANUI, built at Rotorua for a rehab hospital for returned servicemen and still at Taupo. Astern of her is ROMANCE (Bailey and Lowe 1914). In the water, second from the right, is NOMAD, now thought to be at Rotorua. Further upstream, above ARCADIA, is CHAMPION, ex IONA,, now in Brown’s Bay, Paremata, Wellington, under another name.
A remarkable photo – thank you Ken!


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7 thoughts on “Mystery boats at Lake Taupo

  1. Ponui was the Napier Harbour Board’s pilot launch until February 1950 when she was replaced, and bought by Jack Taylor and Sons and brought to Taupo. This photo therefore can’t be earlier than February 1950.

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  2. A few notes; ARCADIA is probably the ARCADIA built in December 1911 by Joe Slattery for R. Neill. EL ALAMEIN, later RANUI, was built by Vern McGeady in January 1945 for the Soldiers’ Convalescent Hospital at Rotorua and transported from Auckland.

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  3. In consultation with brother Nigel, here are some more details. Starting from the left, we have ROTHESAY – previously discussed on WW. This is Don McLeod’s “new” ROTHESAY. Behind her is MOANA (Sam Ford). Don’t know the next one. Then we have DESTINY (Coulthard) – then MOANA ROA, locally built of totara and now in Whangarei. On the slip is ARCADIA, still at Taupo. Then WAIHAHA now AVALON, now at Rotoiti as previously discussed.
    Across the river we have VICTORY, built locally by Jack Taylor during WW2 without power tools, and still at Taupo (Kinloch Marina). Astern of her the 1907 Logan double ender PONUI, On the hard behind Jack Taylor’s house is EL ALEMAIN, now RANUI, built at Rotorua for a rehab hospital for returned servicemen and still at Taupo. Astern of her is ROMANCE (Bailey and Lowe 1914). In the water, second from the right, is NOMAD, now thought to be at Rotorua. Further upstream, above ARCADIA, is CHAMPION, ex IONA,, now in Brown’s Bay, Paremata, Wellington, under another name.
    A remarkable photo – thank you Ken!

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  4. Lake Taupo probably late 40’s early 50’s. On the other side of the river alongside the square house, Victory, still on the lake and Ponui. Foreground 2nd from right Waihaha, now Avalon (Rotoiti), 3rd from left Destiny. Interesting photo.

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