After Snowy Mountain - New Zealand

After working in the Snowy Mountains Hydro Electric scheme, five Lithuanian miners moved to New Zealand to work in the ‘Utah’ Deep Cove, New Zealand.  The area was so mountainous that there was nowhere to establish a camp, so the workers lived on boat.  One miner Vytas Kranauskas was killed by falling rocks.  He has served in the Lithuanian Army in the Artillery and later in the German army. He has also been in the French Foreign Legion and served five years in Indo China.

Another Lithuanian, Romualdas Genys was one of the youngest, at 16 he worked two seasons cutting cane in North Queensland. He worked for many years as Shift boss and walker. The other Lithuanians were First miner Petras Mazeika, First miner Stasys Andriegauskas, First miner Vytas Peciulis, welder Algis Lencius, Foreman, carpenter Janis Rickis.

Deep Cove became an important part of the Manapouri Hydroelectricity Project as the site of the tailrace tunnel from Lake Manapouri. A 10 kilometres tunnel connects the cove with the lake. The tunnel was completed in late 1969, with the power station became operational the following year.