Help us nail the finish... what's needed now
Exciting news
The final stage of Waipu Cove Trail is now built to the cemetery and Council will take over to build the tricky section around the corner to Riverview Place.
To finish off our work we're working on concepts for signage and a couple of shelters. The signage will include wayfinding maps, information about the length of the trail and accessibility, along with some exciting stories about what makes this area of Waipu special. Over the next month our designer Emma will be finalising the look and feel of the signs, and getting quotes to make and install them. Thanks to all the generous donors, we can keep paying the bills.
There will also be some working bees to tackle the awesome native plants that are being beaten back by kikuyu in the middle section from McLean Road and the section through the pine trees at Flagstaff. Look out for our advertisements and signs along the trail seeking volunteers for this. If you look closely at Flagstaff you can see the incredible difference made by Dez, Coralie, Christine and Mike who have removed privet, wild ginger, woolly nightshade, wilding pines, honeysuckle and other invasive weeds. Some stunning native plants are now in the ground. These were grown by the local community nursery.
We're so excited to be finishing this community project. What makes it all so worthwhile is seeing the number of walkers, runners and cyclists out there on the trail already. Isn't it great to have locals and visitors, including Te Araroa walkers safe and off the busy Cove Road.
The final result is a trail for all the family to enjoy with wide spaces, and stunning views to Bream Bay and Bream Head.
Whangarei District Council has undertaken to build the last 500m around the corner to Riverview Place. This is a technically difficult build due to the nature of the road curve and berm slopes. WDC will fund this work from their annual plan.
Our thanks to Paul Cowpland and Paul Jenkins for their awesome trail building. We are also very grateful to all the landowners who have agreed to easements over their land to enable this community asset to go ahead, and to Whangarei District Council for their contribution to survey and legal costs. A shout out also to the contributions from Dave Whittaker, Mountfield Quarry, and Fulton Hogan.
We estimate a further $30k is required to finish the trail signage and shelters. So please keep the generosity coming.
Thank you to those who made submissions to WDC to support our request for the annual plan to prioritise funding so we can get this trail finished.
Let's go Waipu.
To finish off our work we're working on concepts for signage and a couple of shelters. The signage will include wayfinding maps, information about the length of the trail and accessibility, along with some exciting stories about what makes this area of Waipu special. Over the next month our designer Emma will be finalising the look and feel of the signs, and getting quotes to make and install them. Thanks to all the generous donors, we can keep paying the bills.
There will also be some working bees to tackle the awesome native plants that are being beaten back by kikuyu in the middle section from McLean Road and the section through the pine trees at Flagstaff. Look out for our advertisements and signs along the trail seeking volunteers for this. If you look closely at Flagstaff you can see the incredible difference made by Dez, Coralie, Christine and Mike who have removed privet, wild ginger, woolly nightshade, wilding pines, honeysuckle and other invasive weeds. Some stunning native plants are now in the ground. These were grown by the local community nursery.
We're so excited to be finishing this community project. What makes it all so worthwhile is seeing the number of walkers, runners and cyclists out there on the trail already. Isn't it great to have locals and visitors, including Te Araroa walkers safe and off the busy Cove Road.
The final result is a trail for all the family to enjoy with wide spaces, and stunning views to Bream Bay and Bream Head.
Whangarei District Council has undertaken to build the last 500m around the corner to Riverview Place. This is a technically difficult build due to the nature of the road curve and berm slopes. WDC will fund this work from their annual plan.
Our thanks to Paul Cowpland and Paul Jenkins for their awesome trail building. We are also very grateful to all the landowners who have agreed to easements over their land to enable this community asset to go ahead, and to Whangarei District Council for their contribution to survey and legal costs. A shout out also to the contributions from Dave Whittaker, Mountfield Quarry, and Fulton Hogan.
We estimate a further $30k is required to finish the trail signage and shelters. So please keep the generosity coming.
Thank you to those who made submissions to WDC to support our request for the annual plan to prioritise funding so we can get this trail finished.
Let's go Waipu.
Route options to link the trail
We explored the main route options to link Riverview Place with McLean Road and identified that the best route for a number of reasons (ecological values, cost, safety, private landowner concerns) is alongside Cove Rd, on the seaward side.
Consultation
Discussions with landowners along this route have been thoughtfully considered along with the views of Council and the community.
Pros and Cons
There were pros and cons for each route option. Much of the land on the edge of the river and estuary is public land and could be used for public access such as a walkway. However there are a number of reasons including the Department of Conservation Wildlife Refuge, rare bird nesting grounds, a dog exclusion zone, and exposure to storm events, to prefer the roadside option.
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