He has been an integral part of the developments in Duntroon over recent years, such as the establishment of the Vanished World Centre in the early 2000s and the revival of Nicol's Blacksmith Shop, which features a working blacksmith hammering away on Sundays.
Mr Gray, chairman of the Vanished World Trust, Nicol's Blacksmith Historic Trust trustee and a former Duntroon and District Development Association chairman, believed there was plenty to be excited about in the hamlet.
``Duntroon is going to be the day trip for many of Oamaru's visitors in the future,'' he predicted.
Almost two decades ago, not many people held that view.
``Since then a number of volunteers, often serving on both organisations, have worked tirelessly to give Duntroon a future and slowly, it's falling into place.''
Those organisations were the Duntroon and District Development Association and the Vanished World Society, which operate the centre.
Add in the fact the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, which extends more than 300km from Aoraki Mt Cook to Oamaru, passes through Duntroon and there is confidence among residents the township's fortunes will take a turn for the better.
A renovation project is under way at the Duntroon Tavern, while the redevelopment of the wetland area meant the town was on track to become a viable tourism destination which heavily relied on the Elephant Rocks and Maori rock art attractions, Mr Gray said.
Duntroon
• Town was named by Scottish settler and farmer Robert Campbell (from Scottish Gaelic: Dun Treoin)
• Population: 87 ( 2013 census )
• Home to the Vanished World Heritage Centre that displays fossils of penguin genus Archaeospheniscus, Lowe’s penguin and Lopdell’s penguin.
- by Daniel Birchfield
