Waitangi Mountain Bike Park August 2016 Update

NO ACCESS FOR BIKES ON WEF ROADS

Please note the change in access for bikes on roads within the WAITANGI ENDOWMENT FOREST (WEF). Road usage in the forest has changed. New road restrictions are being imposed on all users of the WEF due to logging operations that are about to commence. The forest roads will remain off limits for bikes moving forward, with the exception of Te Wairoa Rd, from the WMBP Trail Hub Car Park, along to Manuka Rd.

The DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION’S new rules are NO BIKES on Bledisloe Rd, Te Puke Rd, Ridge Rd and the Te Wairoa Rd west of Manuka Rd. ‘Riders are not permitted to use forestry roads to ride from Kerikeri to Paihia, or from Paihia to Kerkeri, until further notice’. There is no access to WMBP from the Bledisloe Lookout Car Park.

HUB EARTHWORKS COMPLETE

The first step of stage one of the Trail Hub Car Park build is complete. The carriage way from Baylys Rd onto Te Wairoa Rd up to the Hub has been widened to two lane and the the Hub itself now sports lovely curves with a perfectly shaped gravel bed. Huge thanks to ANDREW YOUNGER CONTRACTING, for meticulous work. ANDREW YOUNGER has donated over $8000 worth of services to the project so far. Amazing support! Thanks also to MARK KLINAC and KERILAND EARTHWORKS for loaning us a 4 tonne twin drum roller which helped greatly to create that perfect base. Yet again getting behind our community is NEIL CATES and the team at Broadspectrum Puketona Quarry who have donated all of the metal for the Hub, even the good stuff! $9000 in metal! Awesome!

GATE IN!

A new WEF ENTRANCE GATE has been installed in Wairoa Bay. Huge thanks to ANDREW YOUNGER, GRANT HARNISH and TROY O’DONOGHUE for all of their efforts getting it in. It swings like a dream! Also thanks to FELL ENGINEERING for the great deal, prompt service and master craftsmanship.

HUB STRUCTURES

BGBB TEAM ARCHITECTS’ great concept designs are currently being drawn up by VISION CONSULTING ENGINEERS LTD, Kerikeri. Both of these companies are donating their services. This in dollar terms is of significant value to the project. We are not just putting an info board on two poles and calling it a mountain bike park, so look forward to something cool! As soon as the plans are in hand Tiff will be out begging for the materials and for a builder too – so if you can help with either of those, she would love to hear from you.

PARK SIGNAGE FINITO!

Yeeasss! Internal Park signage is complete thanks to our infamous WMBP signage trio – BLAKE CAMERON, RACHEL FUSSELL and TIFF HOLLAND. Plus INDIANA (seen here in photo, with Dad) and MACKENZIE CAMERON happily tagging along on some of the missions too. With over 140 signs throughout the park, it has taken a considerable amount of time and logistics. A job that is ticked off with some relief!

PLANTING DOLLARS!

Thank you to the BAY OF ISLANDS GARDEN CLUB who have donated $400 towards plants for the Waitangi Mountain Bike Park. This kind support is greatly appreciated and will keep our planting bees busy. Thank you!

OH A PLANTING WE WILL GO

A huge THANK YOU to all those who turned out for the Planting Bee at the WAITANGI MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK on Saturday 23 July. It was such a great turnout that the team were all done and dusted in under 2 hours! A great way to spend the morning – digging in the dirt, catching up with friends and making new ones. Close to 300 plants in the ground. BAM! Fantastic job – our community spirit going strong.

Thank you to the 30+ planters …. JOHN DUFF, SARAH WALDRON, MIKE & MAUREEN & SARAH & BEN BLACKMAN, ALICE HOSTED, CHARLES STEWART, BRITA MARTY, CARL HUDSON, DOUG BOGARDUS, GAYLE MCMASTER, JONNY & SARAH & SCARLETT GREENER, KAREN MARKIN, PAMELA MACLACHLAN, PETER SECCOMBE, RAE SMYTHE, ROBIN & TIFF & FREYA & THEA HOLLAND, TAUNAHA SMITH, NATEELE HOWARTH & MADISON TAYLOR, VAUGHAN WITTS, ANNE-MARIE & DAVID CAMERON. Thanks to KRUMZ BAKERY for the last minute sausage rolls! Thank you WMBP Volunteer Manager LESLEY LUCAS for her support and to DARREN MARKIN for the great action shots. Also an extra special thanks goes to CHARLIE WITTS for his expertise and efforts in preparing logistics and materials for the panting (and indeed his commitment to the WMBP project overall!) Legend.

MOKO TRACK SURFACING TAKE 2

WOW! It was another amazing turnout for the community working bee to finish the surfacing of the kids track, MOKOPUNA, in the WAITANGI MOUNTAIN BIKE PARK last weekend. With 25 volunteers, wheelbarrow at the ready, the team knocked off the job in under 5 hours. It was a kilometer round trip per barrow load with all volunteers doing between 15 to 20 loads each! Fantastic efforts! Huge thanks to all those that came out to help. It was a mighty effort, made possible by many hands.

Thank you to LOUISE RENDELL for her timely delivery of delicious freshly backed scones for the troops. She was a welcome sight walking in to meet us! [HR]

So it is hats off to the following VOLUNTEERS for their ever impressive commitment and stamina – doing their bit for this worthwhile project. Thank you to ‘barrow kings and queens’ … PETE RICHARDS, DAVE SANSON, PAMELA MACLAHCLAN, STEVE MARTIN, WAYNE SMITH, ETHAN SMITH, ROBIN & TIFF HOLLAND, BRUCE GORDON, CARL HUDSON, SARAH (and SCARLETT) GREENER, GAYLE MCMASTER, ROB HARDIMAN, TE MOREHU HIROTI, TONY TAHERE, CHESTER RENDELL, KAREN MARKIN, CHARLES STEWART, PAUL CLAPTON, CHRIS WILLIAMS, BRITA MARTI, GARY LUCAS, DENNIS BOWMAN and SHARON & REUBEN GREIG. Legends! Thank you to WMBP Volunteer Manager LESLEY LUCAS for all the communications.

Last but not least a big shout out goes again to NEIL CATES and the team at Broadspectrum Puketona Quarry who donated ALL of the surface material and not forgetting ANDREW YOUNGER CONTRACTING who delivered it all to site free of charge. Amazing support from our community, making this all possible. It was an extremely rewarding job and the finished track is now mint!

track-workers