New temporary home for Dannevirke Information Centre

Dannevirke Community patrol volunteer and community car volunteer driver Murray Lawson at the Dannevirke Information Centre with fellow community patrol volunteer and information centre president Nolan Williams. The centre is to relocate temporarily while the building is redecorated. Photo / Sue Emeny

Dannevirke Information Centre is to relocate to the Tararua District Council offices temporarily from Monday, October 14.

The centre is to undergo a long overdue facelift which information centre manager Donna Rayner says should take three weeks.

The office will have new carpet tiles laid and will be repainted.

Centre president Nolan Williams said the last time the centre was painted was 20 years ago when committee members carried out the task themselves.

The office will close at 1pm on Saturday, October 12 and will reopen from a desk at the front counter of the council building on Monday, October 14 at 9.30am.

It will operate from Monday to Friday from 9.30am until 12.30pm, reopening at 1.30pm until 5pm. It won't be open on Saturdays during the relocation period.

In the past month the information centre has had 645 visitors call in. Rayner said of those 400 were locals, 90 were visitors from other parts of New Zealand and 55 were from overseas, among them were Canadians, Americans, Germans, Swiss, Danish, Swedish and Australian visitors.

While that may seem like a lot of visitors, it's nothing like the numbers seen during the summer months.

The centre provides a wide range of services, however, some of these will be reduced during the relocation period.

"People will have to hold off on bringing in books for the annual Lions book sale, and we won't be able to do any photocopying, but people needing this can go to the Dannevirke library," said Rayner.

The centre provides a wide range of local and district information, visitor and accommodation guides, maps and brochures, both regional and national, as well as postcards and souvenirs, but during the shift Rayner will have limited space for these.

The centre's booking service for Intercity buses and ferries and Ticket Direct events will continue.

Dannevirke Town Hall bookings can also be made at the information centre.

The centre will continue to take Dannevirke Community Vehicle Trust bookings. The community vehicle operates Tuesdays to Fridays (excluding public holidays) from 9.30am to 4.30pm.