Hayes Engineering Visit + extras
What a worthwhile and enjoyable day, our thanks to Merv. for arranging it for Mosgiel rotary members. The original plan of taking a bus load was abandoned and a smaller group went by car pool, which worked out well. 15 people at a time, was about the perfect sized group for walking through the cramped confines of the workshop and the cosy confines of the cafe.
Thanks to Brian, who supplied these excellent photos, we have a record of our event.
Everyone who came really agreed it was great.
Most of us will have driven through Oturehua and past the Hayes Historic site over the years heading for Queenstown or Wanaka and not taken the time to stop.
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Going as a group was a far better idea as we were treated as special guests. The local ladies put on delicious food including a mug of vegetable soup with home baked bread when we arrived then after the tour of the workshop and the historical house we were served a generous range of savouries , sandwichs and cakes with tea or coffee.
About 2.30 pm the cars dispersed to other interests, most heading to Naseby to enjoy a very competitive curling game for a a couple of hours some then visiting Hide and others via Macraes goldmine.
Thanks Mervyn for an enjoyable day you could probably get another group interested next year.
Merv's old school cobber Ken Gillespie showed us round the workshop and after starting up the pelton wheel drive got all the machinery running which he ably demonstrated.
The use of belts, wheels pulleys, and shafts is intriguing to say the least but it all still works perfectly after all these years. Two things E Hayes and Sons were famous for in rural New Zealand were the wire strainers and other fencing tools which most farmers will have, and the deep well windmill pumps which used to be common all over Otago and Southland. These pumps are now being operated by solar power on many farms.
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