Waitangi Mountain Bike Park April 2016 Update

PARK OPENING?

You guessed it! We are still waiting on the permissions for the carpark/trail hub to come through from DOC. Hence, seemingly hard to predict, an opening date is still as elusive as ever. It would therefore be easier to say –  as soon as we know, you will know.  In the meantime our FAR NORTH CORRECTIONS FACILITY CREW and VOLUNTEER TEAMS have been putting in the hours working on the various elements of the park that need to be in place before opening. The Bridge on Track 9 is now complete, Road Crossing Barriers have been installed and a monster fence has been built on a section of Bledisloe Rd.
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SOUTHSTAR TRAILS – PROGRESS IN THE HILLS

It’s full steam ahead for the remaining SOUTHSTAR TRAILS CREW as they come within reach of the final goal of completing 10 tracks. Most recently they have been working on a GRADE 2 down hill track that starts from the top of the Hill Climb and runs along under Haruru Falls Rd, down to the wetland area and across the famous bridge on Tack 9. It is the longest down hill track at 2.6km and is mixed with a little cross country at the end. There is a beautiful set of berms and some fun features, in true Southstar style, as the trail winds its way down through the valley below.
So as the first season of trail building in the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park park approaches an end, we farewell Southstar Crew SCOTT TAYLOR, RYAN LOVETT, LLOYD JENKS, GABY TEBIB and BASTIAN WENZEL,  after 6 months of tremendous effort in the forest. Blazing in the heat!  Thank you to all of these great guys who combined have made us some magnificent trails.Still here, is Southstar team NICK CROCKER and LANCE TAVINOR, working on the final trail, a beginners/kids loop, just a short ride from the (eventual) car park. This trail will be a great introduction to riding for families and first timers, super easy and super fun. There is a bit of tidying up to do before this last crew hit the road and then the only thing holding us back from opening is getting in all the signage and that carpark! Fortunately Southstar chief JEFF CARTER is never far away and will be back for a final spruce up of the trails before opening.

PHOTO: Southstar Trails, Above: ‘After the effort, the reassurance.’[hr]

ANOTHER RESOURCE CONSENT APPROVED

In addition to the resource consent from NRC,we now have our FNDC RESOURCE CONSENT. Being a large and complex project this has taken a considerable amount of work. Thank you to the team at FAR NORTH DISTRICT COUNCIL for their time, efforts and efficient handling. Thank you to JEFF KEMP of BAY OF ISLANDS PLANNING for his expert assistance.
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BRIDGE AT THE BOTTOM OF TRACK 9

BAY OF ISLANDS ITM/ BRUCE GORDON, working bee putting in the bridge abutment poles and getting the span poles across the swamp (as reported on in the previous newsletter), ANDY GRIERSON donated a team of 6 builders for another 2 days, building the ramps, deck and curbs. A team not often seen, usually working on a residence in the back blocks of Russell, huge thanks goes to ANDY for his generosity in supporting the WMBP project and to his team for their splendid deed – TIM CASWELL, TIM FIELD, CLINTON SMITH,  MITCHELL GRIERSON and JARRED DEEMING. Thanks also to the team at FELL ENGINEERING for the hasty assembly of timber jacks purpose built FOC for hoisting the span poles up onto the abutment poles, an essential tool in this jigsaw puzzle and the result, a magnificent bridge!
Once again, extra special thanks goes to STEPHEN GRAY from BAY OF ISLANDS ITM who has been working sourcing materials FOC for not only the bridge, but for all of the other structures in the Park too. Stephen has put in a tremendous amount of time and effort into making this all happen. Legend!
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AND A MONTY FENCE!

Last Saturday saw another volunteer effort for  the installation of a significant sized fence on Bledisloe Rd, beside track 2. It has been built so that horses do not get a fright when bikes come around the corner near the roadside. We are striving to keep all users safe in the forest.

Last week volunteers BRUCE GORDON and ADAM worked to install the posts for the fence, prior to the weekends ‘planking’. With yet another $2.5k worth of concrete, posts and planks donated by BAY OF ISLANDS ITM, we had another great working bee on Saturday led again by the ITM CREW. Supported by other members of our awesome community there was a 12 strong crew onsite and in 4 hours it was all banged out. Huge thanks to the crew from ITM – STEPHEN GRAY, ANDY VANASCHE, CARL HUDSON, JOHN ASHTON and DON MORRSION supported by PETER SECCOMBE, LES FEASEY and also keen fellow riders RUSSELL CARLYON, PETE RICHARDS, BRAD MOSBY, ROBIN and TIFF HOLLAND. Another legendary team effort. Roar!

PHOTO; Les Feasey; Left to right Robin, Tiff, Brad, Pete S, John, Andy, Pete R, Russ, Carl, Don and Stephen.[hr]

KEEP IT UP CLUB MEMBERS

The list continues to grow! Huge thanks to all those who those who have already contributed; ADMIRALS VIEW LODGE, ALLEGRA HOUSE, ALOHA SEAVIEW RESORT MOTEL, AVERILL COURT MOTEL, BAY CABINZ, BAY OF ISLANDS CAMPERVANS, BAY OF ISLANDS CAMPGROUND, BAYSTAY BED & BREAKFAST, BAYVIEW MEDICAL CENTRE, BAY WATER VIEWS BNB, BEACHFRONT PACIFIC/BEACHED AS, BEACHSIDE HOLDINGS, BLUE PACIFIC APARTMENTS, BAY OF ISLANDS CAMPERVAN PARK, BAY OF ISLANDS HOME HOLIDAYS, CAPTAIN BOB’S BACKPACKERS, CLASSIC HOLIDAYS LTD, CLUB PAIHIA, DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH HOTEL, EDGEWATER PALMS MANAGEMENT, HARCOURTS BAY OF ISLANDS REALTY, KEBABULOUS, THE MOUSETRAP BACKPACKERS, ONLY SEAFOOD, OUTRIGGER MOTEL,  PAIHIA DIVE, PAIHIA PHARMACY, PIONEER APARTMENTS, CHESTER & LOUISE RENDELL, SALTWATER LODGE, SEABEDS BACKPACKERS, SWISS CHALET LODGE MOTEL, THE CABBAGE TREE, THE FRIENDS OF WILLIAMS HOUSE, THE PICKLED PARROT and YHA PAIHIA.   If you have donated via the ‘Keep it up Club’ and your name does not appear on this list, please contactinfo@focuspaihia.org.nz

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE KEEP IT UP CLUB

If you are a BUSINESS and keen support the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park by being part of the “Keep it up Club” (donation $1000) receiving acknowledgement in the Focus Paihia Newsletter and on the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park website (website yet to be developed) please click HERE to print the Keep it Up Club Form.

WITHIN A LIONS ROAR

TIFF HOLLAND gratefully recieved a cheque on behalf of the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park from the LIONS CLUB OF WAITANGI who raised the funds at their recently held TEAMS TOURNAMENT at the WAITANGI GOLF CLUB. Originaly estimated at $3000 the final count came in at $4200! Thank you WAITANGI LIONS!

BOI ROTARY TOUR OF THE PARK