In 1947, 60 men were employed on the construction of the Rotorua to Whakatāne highway, as increases in traffic had caused problems on the road which was barely 12 feet wide.

In the winter of 1956 the lake level of Rotomā rose very high, causing the road to be shifted to higher ground.

[3] Various establishments have come and gone at Rotomā, and most were set up to service the passing traveller's desire for rest stops, refreshments and accommodation.

There was an extremely high level of rainfall in 1961 which caused serious flooding problems, and the business was badly affected.

A pump was in action 24 hours a day for weeks to prevent the water from completely flooding the premises.

The bay at the foot of the Rotomā hill where Manawahe Road commences had the nickname "Suicide Beach" in the past due to the occurrence of a murder-suicide there in May 1925.

[7] The real story was lost over time, with the majority of Rotomā local residents holding the belief that it had been a young honeymoon couple who committed suicide there together.

In an attempt to separate the pair, the disapproving parents sent the girl, Molly Moors, to live with an aunt in Hastings.

Without her aunts knowledge, Olsen picked Molly up in his car and it was assumed they were on their way to Hamilton when they met death at the shores of Rotomā.

The cloud the old Tohunga cast over the island was lifted only on the occasions where he went to visit some of his relations in Kawerau and around Putauaki, Mount Edgecumbe.

One night he returned from such a visit and called out to the people of the island from the lake's edge by Matahi lagoon, ordering them to send him a canoe.

The people of the island heard the angry Tohunga's terrible screams, but did not realise the horrible retribution he would take.

The curse caused the island to slowly sink, and by morning it was completely underwater; the only signs of the village being bodies and pieces of wreckage floating on the surface of the lake.

[13] The early road construction crews commented on the lack of Māori settlement in Rotomā and in the neighbouring Lake Rotoehu.

The tribe Ngāti Tūwharetoa may not have lived permanently at Rotomā but at least took out a temporary camping existence there to take advantage of the hunting and fishing opportunities on offer.

In 1896 a census shows a population of 33, understood to be the occupants of the camp set up for the road workers and their families at the east end of Oneroa beach by the lagoon.

However, when the weather was too bad we just declared a holiday – and nobody seemed to worry" A new school was built and opened in its present location on Soda Springs Road on 25 May 1936 with 29 students.

On 14 August 1973 the majority of parents kept their children at home as a protest against the lack of action to improve standards.

There was widespread media coverage and in October the Minister of Education ordered that a new school be built, and it was opened on 16 November 1974.

[19] In 1952 the service was taken over by George Graham, and Mr. Pilbrow's son Ken, who operated a Bradford van from the Kettle Store.

[20] The local tribe Te Arawa has been involved in efforts to remove the invasive weeds and restore the crayfish populations by attaching woven flax mats called uwhi to the bottom of the lake that limit the growth of the invasive plants while the thinner native plants are able to thrive.

Burlap and rubber mats were unsuccessful as they would lift off the lake bottom from the accumulated gas from the decaying plants.