New Zealand Odyssey: Rotokautuku Shingle Plant, East Cape

'New Zealand Odyssey', published in 1989 by Heinemann, was authored by me, Don Donovan (who did the text and illustrations) and Euan Sarginson, who did the photography and design. In this series of blog posts, I will publish some of my drawings.

This shingle processing plant had its feet in the Waiapu River, west of Ruatoria on East Cape where, in some respects, it felt as if time had been suspended. The whole building was constructed of corrugated iron with the most wonderfully rusty roof one could ever hope for. 

Now, all these years later, I can find no trace of the Rotokautuku shingle plant on the Internet. Perhaps it fell down?*

*I received an email from an anonymous reader who told me that the structure is still there in 2011 and looks much the same.

© DON DONOVAN

donovan@ihug.co.nz