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Story: Hydroelectricity

Tunneling at Manapōuri

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Tunnellers, including a young Tim Shadbolt, working on the Manapouri power station project in 1967

In 1967, aged 19, Tim Shadbolt (bottom, second from right) worked on the Manapōuri scheme. His description of tunnelling and those who did it was published in 1971, in Bullshit and jellybeans, and can be downloaded here.

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How to cite this page

John E. Martin, Hydroelectricity – Hydro and the environment, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/document/22473/tunneling-at-manapouri (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by John E. Martin, published 20 April 2010.