Tairua River Trail News - 1 June 2025
North bank construction under way!
After many years of planning and consultation, we're pleased to be able to say we've finally broken ground on new trail along the north bank of the Tairua River!
With all approvals in place, we've built several hundred metres of new trail from a point on the north bank opposite where the existing south bank terminates. The Tanner’s section is heading along the river towards Tairua. Work has so far involved stripping topsoil, which has been saved for use in future planting. We’re adding layers of crushed metal to help form the trail surface (finer metal will be added later), clearing weeds, moving fences inland, building an access road, and preparing to start work on a short boardwalk section heading northbound towards Tairua.
This milestone is the culmination of years of work from so many groups, so thank you to everyone who has helped make this happen. A special thanks to landowner Alan Tanner for allowing work to begin on his property.
We intend to continue to progressively construct the land-based trail around the Tanner farm to a point where it will join the NZTA road reserve on SH25 via a small bridge at Swampy Stream. The length of this section of trail is 2.7km and once complete, we'll be able to undertake predator trapping, native planting and provide public access.
More than 50% of the funding is secured for this section of the trail, and our community fundraising and volunteer workforce will enable this to be progressively completed. Once this section is complete, we will follow a similar model as we progressively develop the 3km land-based trail to the Tairua Cemetery.
While this is an exciting development, looking ahead, we will need to raise significant funds for the120-metre-long suspension bridge, the Bridge Section, $1.5m. Also, the 1km elevated boardwalk which will take the trail to Tairua Primary school, $1.5m. We're busy applying for available funding and grants, but the missing piece of the puzzle is finding a cornerstone partner or partners - whether a like-minded local business or philanthropic organisation - to support our efforts to finish the trail.
If you or someone you know is interested in talking to us about partnership opportunities, please contact Derrick on027 224 4277 or [email protected]. For a full list of ways you can support the trail, see the bottom of this email.
How you can help us complete the trail
Without putting too finer point on it, our funds are dwindling. Thank you to those who are already donating but we still need a lot more help!
Spread the word. The more people around the country who know about this awesome trail, the better. Forward this email to your friends, follow us on Facebook, and stay tuned to local media for updates on our progress.
Lend us a hand. We’re on the look out for volunteers to help with a range of tasks, including planting new trees and helping build and maintain the new trail on the Tairua side of the river. Email [email protected] to register your support.
Partner with us. We’re looking to team up with a business or philanthropic organisation as a cornerstone partner to help us make this dream a reality. If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact our chair Derrick Adams on 027 224 4277 or [email protected].
Donate. If you are in a position to contribute financially, please consider becoming a Trail Blazer. Or, for one-off donations, click here or google search “Tairua River Trail Givealittle” any time. The trail has been community-led from day one and we’re so appreciative of every dollar donated.
All donations are tax deductible as we are a charitable trust.
Running and walking events on the trail
The trail has hosted two separate events in recent months: the annual Pauanui Half Marathon in March, and the inaugural Aramex Kiwi Walk & Run Series event in early May. Events like these create brilliant memories for those who take part and contribute to a timely boost for local businesses, and we see potential for more uses of the trail in future that will benefit the community. A big thanks to the organisers of both these events for their generous donations to the trail and we look forward to hosting you all again next year!
Tairua River Trail News - 16 March 2025
What a fantastic summer it’s been in the Eastern Coromandel and a busy time on the trail - nearly 8,500 people crossed Duck Creek bridge between early December and mid-Jan alone! We’ve just got the great news that our Ecological Management Plan has been approved and with that, we’re ready to start building new trail along the north bank of the river in the coming weeks!
Become a Trail Blazer!
This is an exciting time for those of you who have waited patiently for progress over the last few years. Not surprisingly, a common question we’ve got over summer was “how do I help?”. Being a fully volunteer-run project, we rely on generous donations from the public and we thank everyone who has contributed to our trail construction and maintenance fund either online or in person at market days over the summer.
If you want to step it up a notch, we’re calling for Trail Blazers to make regular monthly donations (at an amount of your choosing) to help keep our maintenance and construction work ticking over. As a valued supporter of the trail, we’ll keep you updated on progress and look to provide other special offers and benefits as we get on with building the trail. Signing up is simple - just follow this two-step process as outlined on our website.
Volunteer Heroes
Meantime, a huge number of volunteer hours have gone into preserving and improving the existing trail, from pest trapping and weed clearing to delivering new trees to be planted along new sections of trail. A special shoutout to Campbell Upperton from Pinnacles Civil and family for mucking in (see below). We have thousands of trees that will need to be planted later in the year, so if you’d like to be part of the effort - especially on the Tairua side - please email [email protected] with “Volunteer” in the subject line. We’d love to have you on board!
Run the Trail this March!
We’re less than two weeks away from the Pauanui Half Marathon on 15 March. If you haven’t signed up, it’s not too late so do it now and get your training shoes on! Last year’s event drew 688 competitors across the 21.1km, 10km and 4.5km distances, and the organisers donated a very generous $7,000 towards the trail, so let’s see if we can beat that this year. We think it’s probably the best half marathon in NZ - although we may be a bit biased as most of it takes place on our lovely trail.
FInally, just a reminder below on the ways you can help us make the dream of a bridge and new trail to Tairua a reality. We hope to bring you more good news in our next edition!
Regards,
Tairua River Trail Team
How you can help us complete the trail
Spread the word. The more people around the country who know about this awesome trail, the better. Forward this email to your friends, follow us on Facebook, and stay tuned to local media for updates on our progress.
Lend us a hand. We’re on the look out for volunteers to help with a range of tasks, including planting new trees and helping build and maintain the new trail on the Tairua side of the river. Email [email protected] to register your support.
Partner with us. We’re looking to team up with a business or philanthropic organisation as a cornerstone partner to help us make this dream a reality. If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact our chair Derrick Adams on 027 224 4277 or [email protected].
Donate. If you are in a position to contribute financially, please consider becoming a Trail Blazer. Or, for one-off donations, click here or google search “Tairua River Trail Givealittle” any time. The trail has been community-led from day one and we’re so appreciative of every dollar donated.
What a fantastic summer it’s been in the Eastern Coromandel and a busy time on the trail - nearly 8,500 people crossed Duck Creek bridge between early December and mid-Jan alone! We’ve just got the great news that our Ecological Management Plan has been approved and with that, we’re ready to start building new trail along the north bank of the river in the coming weeks!
Become a Trail Blazer!
This is an exciting time for those of you who have waited patiently for progress over the last few years. Not surprisingly, a common question we’ve got over summer was “how do I help?”. Being a fully volunteer-run project, we rely on generous donations from the public and we thank everyone who has contributed to our trail construction and maintenance fund either online or in person at market days over the summer.
If you want to step it up a notch, we’re calling for Trail Blazers to make regular monthly donations (at an amount of your choosing) to help keep our maintenance and construction work ticking over. As a valued supporter of the trail, we’ll keep you updated on progress and look to provide other special offers and benefits as we get on with building the trail. Signing up is simple - just follow this two-step process as outlined on our website.
Volunteer Heroes
Meantime, a huge number of volunteer hours have gone into preserving and improving the existing trail, from pest trapping and weed clearing to delivering new trees to be planted along new sections of trail. A special shoutout to Campbell Upperton from Pinnacles Civil and family for mucking in (see below). We have thousands of trees that will need to be planted later in the year, so if you’d like to be part of the effort - especially on the Tairua side - please email [email protected] with “Volunteer” in the subject line. We’d love to have you on board!
Run the Trail this March!
We’re less than two weeks away from the Pauanui Half Marathon on 15 March. If you haven’t signed up, it’s not too late so do it now and get your training shoes on! Last year’s event drew 688 competitors across the 21.1km, 10km and 4.5km distances, and the organisers donated a very generous $7,000 towards the trail, so let’s see if we can beat that this year. We think it’s probably the best half marathon in NZ - although we may be a bit biased as most of it takes place on our lovely trail.
FInally, just a reminder below on the ways you can help us make the dream of a bridge and new trail to Tairua a reality. We hope to bring you more good news in our next edition!
Regards,
Tairua River Trail Team
How you can help us complete the trail
Spread the word. The more people around the country who know about this awesome trail, the better. Forward this email to your friends, follow us on Facebook, and stay tuned to local media for updates on our progress.
Lend us a hand. We’re on the look out for volunteers to help with a range of tasks, including planting new trees and helping build and maintain the new trail on the Tairua side of the river. Email [email protected] to register your support.
Partner with us. We’re looking to team up with a business or philanthropic organisation as a cornerstone partner to help us make this dream a reality. If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact our chair Derrick Adams on 027 224 4277 or [email protected].
Donate. If you are in a position to contribute financially, please consider becoming a Trail Blazer. Or, for one-off donations, click here or google search “Tairua River Trail Givealittle” any time. The trail has been community-led from day one and we’re so appreciative of every dollar donated.
Tairua River Trail News - 16 October 2024
Resource Consent GRANTED!
In case you missed the big news last week, we have resource consent approval to complete the trail! We’re thrilled with this long-awaited news and would like to thank everyone who’s helped us get to this stage, including the local and regional councils, iwi, many community groups and of course the nearly 1,000 locals who signed on in support over the past couple of years.
You can read more about the big news on CFM and the Hauraki Coromandel Post.
What’s next?
While this is amazing news, many of you will still have questions about the trail, how it’s going to be funded and what the next steps are. Here’s a quick explainer:
When will the trail be completed?
Hopefully within the next few years. Construction on a new section of trail on the north bank will begin this summer, with more technical sections including the 120m suspension bridge across the river and a boardwalk section from Tairua School to Tairua Cemetery to follow.
Where will it go?
From the existing end point on the south bank, the trail will cross the river about 1km upstream from Tanners Mill. It will then follow the north bank for 7km, via gravel trail and bridge/boardwalk sections, ending next to Tairua School on Petley Parade.
How much will it cost?
We estimate the total construction cost will be between $5m and $6m.
How will it be funded?
We expect to fund the trail’s completion mainly through philanthropic and business sources, as well as some community donations and public funding.
Is it worth it?
NZIER modelling suggests the trail should break even from a cost/benefit perspective within four years of completion. We believe it will bring a wide range of benefits for the Tairua and Pauanui communities, such as economic opportunities through increased year-round cycle tourism, a safe off-road pedestrian route south of Tairua township, conservation improvements through our native planting and pest-trapping programme, and health and wellbeing benefits from more people getting out and enjoying the trail.
Shouldn’t other projects such as roading improvements take funding priority?
We agree there are many other worthy projects that would benefit the region, but we are not directly competing with them for public money. While we receive some annual funding from the Thames Coromandel Community Board, the vast majority will come from private sources and trusts.
What are the environmental impacts?
Protecting and enhancing the precious estuary environment along the trail is a top priority for the team. Ensuring a route and trail design that didn’t impact on local flora and fauna was a key focus through the consenting process. Long term we think there will be conservation benefits as our volunteers expand the brilliant planting and trapping work they’ve already done along the south bank trail.
Who’s behind the trail’s construction?
The Hikuai District Trust is a local charitable trust that oversees the trail’s funding and planning, working with the Tairua River Trail Operations Committee that oversees its maintenance and construction. Both teams are 100% volunteers and come from a range of backgrounds across Tairua and Pauanui. You can read more about us here.
Sounds great! How can I support?
So glad you asked! We know things are hard right now and many people won’t be in a position to donate, but read on for other ways you can help.
How you can help
Spread the word. The more people around the country who know about this awesome trail, the better. Forward this email to your friends, follow us on Facebook, and stay tuned to local media for updates on our progress.
Lend us a hand. We’re on the look out for volunteers to help with a range of tasks, including planting new trees and helping build and maintain the new trail on the Tairua side of the river. Email [email protected] to register your support.
Partner with us. We’re looking to team up with a business or philanthropic organisation as a cornerstone partner to help us make this dream a reality. If you or someone you know may be interested, please contact our chair Derrick Adams on 027 224 4277 or [email protected].
Donate. If you are in a position to contribute financially, please click here or google search “Tairua River Trail Givealittle” any time. The trail has been community-led from day one and we’re so appreciative of every dollar donated. Let’s go finish this thing!
Tairua River Trail News - 24 March 2024
There may be an autumnal chill in the air, but Pauanui put on beautiful blue skies and the trail was in perfect condition for the annual half marathon last weekend. To all 688 runners who competed across the 21.1km, 10km and 4.5km events, a massive well done and we hope you managed to enjoy the out-and-back half marathon course taking in the full length of the trail. It was great to see runners from all over the country (and even three from the USA!) flocking to Pauanui, making for a bumper weekend for local businesses. Thanks to Paul Schrader and Pat Courtney for the fantastic photos.
In all the excitement we were even treated to a rare kiwi sighting on the trail! Well done to trail trustee Max who ran the half marathon disguised as one of our native treasures to promote the trail. And a big thank you to the race organisers for putting on a superbly run event and donating a portion of the proceeds to the upkeep and improvements along the trail.
The event capped off a fabulous summer on the trail. We’ve tallied up more than 13,000 users on the trail since Christmas - that’s nearly half the population of the entire Thames-Coromandel district. Unfortunately, we’ve also had some less welcome four-legged visitors, and our trusty trappers have been busy catching dozens of pests including possums, rats, stoats and mice. This is vital work to help native bird populations re-establish themselves and we’re so grateful to all the volunteers who put countless hours into enhancing our “bird corridor”.
We had lots of questions about the status of the trail extension at the half-marathon on Saturday, with people really excited about the next phase. We’re still working on getting the necessary permissions to make the dream of a suspension bridge and a north bank trail into Tairua into a reality and we’ll share more news with you when we can. In the meantime, please continue to enjoy the milder autumnal conditions on the trail and tell your friends to check it out too!
Follow us on Facebook
A huge thank you to all our wonderful trail supporters. If your friends or family would like to receive this newsletter as well, please ask them to message us on Facebook or email us at [email protected].
Regards,
Tairua River Trail Team
There may be an autumnal chill in the air, but Pauanui put on beautiful blue skies and the trail was in perfect condition for the annual half marathon last weekend. To all 688 runners who competed across the 21.1km, 10km and 4.5km events, a massive well done and we hope you managed to enjoy the out-and-back half marathon course taking in the full length of the trail. It was great to see runners from all over the country (and even three from the USA!) flocking to Pauanui, making for a bumper weekend for local businesses. Thanks to Paul Schrader and Pat Courtney for the fantastic photos.
In all the excitement we were even treated to a rare kiwi sighting on the trail! Well done to trail trustee Max who ran the half marathon disguised as one of our native treasures to promote the trail. And a big thank you to the race organisers for putting on a superbly run event and donating a portion of the proceeds to the upkeep and improvements along the trail.
The event capped off a fabulous summer on the trail. We’ve tallied up more than 13,000 users on the trail since Christmas - that’s nearly half the population of the entire Thames-Coromandel district. Unfortunately, we’ve also had some less welcome four-legged visitors, and our trusty trappers have been busy catching dozens of pests including possums, rats, stoats and mice. This is vital work to help native bird populations re-establish themselves and we’re so grateful to all the volunteers who put countless hours into enhancing our “bird corridor”.
We had lots of questions about the status of the trail extension at the half-marathon on Saturday, with people really excited about the next phase. We’re still working on getting the necessary permissions to make the dream of a suspension bridge and a north bank trail into Tairua into a reality and we’ll share more news with you when we can. In the meantime, please continue to enjoy the milder autumnal conditions on the trail and tell your friends to check it out too!
Follow us on Facebook
A huge thank you to all our wonderful trail supporters. If your friends or family would like to receive this newsletter as well, please ask them to message us on Facebook or email us at [email protected].
Regards,
Tairua River Trail Team
Tairua River Trail News - 29 November 2023
Welcome to our very first Tairua River Trail newsletter. You’re receiving this because you’ve expressed support for or interest in the trail in the past. We’re planning to send out this newsletter quarterly, and we’ll never spam you, but if you’d prefer not to receive them please hit “unsubscribe” at the bottom of this email.
Summer is around the corner and with the recent fantastic news about the SH25A reopening, we’re looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and new visitors to the trail over the next few months. It’s been great to see lots of young’uns out enjoying the spring sunshine on the trail!
With all the wild weather we’ve had this year, our trail team has been kept busy with maintenance and repair work, and we’re pleased to see the trail itself has held up well through flooding and storms. The team have also been working hard to improve the trail surroundings and create new habitats for rare native birds through new plantings.
Behind the scenes, the project team continues to make good progress on plans to connect the trail to Tairua via a bridge and new trail along the north bank of the Tairua River. We’ve formalised all our agreements with private landowners, obtained support from Iwi and completed the required technical and environmental assessments.
News from the trail
We’ll be out and about in Pauanui and Tairua over the summer to share our progress and plans. Follow us on Facebook for updates on where we’ll be and when.
Follow us on Facebook
A huge thank you all our wonderful trail supporters. If your friends or family would like to receive this newsletter as well, please ask them to message us on Facebook or email us at [email protected].
Regards,
Tairua Trail Team
Welcome to our very first Tairua River Trail newsletter. You’re receiving this because you’ve expressed support for or interest in the trail in the past. We’re planning to send out this newsletter quarterly, and we’ll never spam you, but if you’d prefer not to receive them please hit “unsubscribe” at the bottom of this email.
Summer is around the corner and with the recent fantastic news about the SH25A reopening, we’re looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces and new visitors to the trail over the next few months. It’s been great to see lots of young’uns out enjoying the spring sunshine on the trail!
With all the wild weather we’ve had this year, our trail team has been kept busy with maintenance and repair work, and we’re pleased to see the trail itself has held up well through flooding and storms. The team have also been working hard to improve the trail surroundings and create new habitats for rare native birds through new plantings.
Behind the scenes, the project team continues to make good progress on plans to connect the trail to Tairua via a bridge and new trail along the north bank of the Tairua River. We’ve formalised all our agreements with private landowners, obtained support from Iwi and completed the required technical and environmental assessments.
News from the trail
- The Pauanui half marathon, 10km, and 4.5km races return on Saturday 16 March 2024. It’s a beautiful course, starting at the Surf Club, skirting the waterways and heading out and back along the trail. Time to get training?
- Our native planting work is paying dividends, with abundant birdlife along the trail including these matatā chicks (see below). Thanks to our volunteers of all ages who have helped out with the planting!
- On a sadder note, in August we farewelled Farquhar Calder, a much-loved figure on the trail and a key contributor to our progress over many years.
Farquhar was the Hikuai District Trust's very first financial officer, a passionate supporter and regular donor to the trail along with his family. His legacy lives on in the continued improvements and development of the trail.
We’ll be out and about in Pauanui and Tairua over the summer to share our progress and plans. Follow us on Facebook for updates on where we’ll be and when.
Follow us on Facebook
A huge thank you all our wonderful trail supporters. If your friends or family would like to receive this newsletter as well, please ask them to message us on Facebook or email us at [email protected].
Regards,
Tairua Trail Team
Media release: New trail will connect Coromandel communities and create stunning one-day ride
23 November 2022
A 120-metre suspension bridge across the Tairua River will be the highlight of a scenic 15km walking and cycle trail that’s set to form a key link in the Coromandel’s expanding trail network.
The Tairua River Trail, formerly known as the Pauanui-Tairua Trail, is already open along a 6.4km route from Pauanui towards Hikuai. The bridge and a new trail along the north bank of the river into Tairua will be wide and mainly flat - suitable for everyone from cyclists to joggers to families out on a casual stroll.
The Hikuai District Trust is a local charitable trust overseeing the trail’s construction. Its chair Derrick Adams, who has recently succeeded retiring founder Gary Fowler, says the completed trail will be a fantastic asset for the region.
“We’re bringing communities closer together which is the main goal for us”, Mr Adams says.
“The existing trail from Pauanui is already popular throughout the year and attracts tens of thousands of users over summer. By connecting it all the way to Tairua, we’re opening up a scenic and accessible route to everyone that we think will come to be known as one of the country’s best
one-day trails.”
Aside from the health and recreation benefits of having a great new trail on our doorstep, Mr Adams thinks it will boost local business all year round.
“Connecting with a regular Tairua-Pauanui ferry service in future, trail users would be able to complete it as a unique loop – starting at one end with a coffee, finishing with a drink and a meal at the other end, then catching a quick boat ride back to their starting point.
“We also see environmental benefits for the precious Tairua River estuary. Our team of volunteers are helping revive native bird populations by pest trapping and planting native trees along the existing route.”
The completed trail will also offer safety benefits in Tairua by providing pedestrians a fully off-road route between the southern end of town and the school, Mr Adams says.
Following consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including landowners, Thames Coromandel District Council, the local community board, DoC, Iwi, Waka Kotahi, Environment Waikato, Heritage NZ, Walking Access NZ and community groups, the Trust decided a bridge and 15km route
connecting the towns would be more feasible than a longer route along the river via Hikuai.
It expects to lodge a resource consent application for the next stages of construction next year, with the aim of completing the trail in the next few years.
“Public support will be hugely important to getting this project done and we’ll be encouraging the community to have their say over the summer. In the meantime, we want people to get out and about on the existing trail, to see more of what the beautiful eastern Coromandel has to offer,” Mr
Adams says.
When completed, the trail will connect to other walking and mountain bike trails in the area, and could potentially be joined up with New Zealand’s national trail network via a route over the Coromandel Ranges in the future.
Mr Adams acknowledged the tireless work of Trust founder Gary Fowler and countless volunteers to build and maintain the trail to a high standard over nearly two decades. Mr Fowler will continue as an advisor to the Trust.
23 November 2022
A 120-metre suspension bridge across the Tairua River will be the highlight of a scenic 15km walking and cycle trail that’s set to form a key link in the Coromandel’s expanding trail network.
The Tairua River Trail, formerly known as the Pauanui-Tairua Trail, is already open along a 6.4km route from Pauanui towards Hikuai. The bridge and a new trail along the north bank of the river into Tairua will be wide and mainly flat - suitable for everyone from cyclists to joggers to families out on a casual stroll.
The Hikuai District Trust is a local charitable trust overseeing the trail’s construction. Its chair Derrick Adams, who has recently succeeded retiring founder Gary Fowler, says the completed trail will be a fantastic asset for the region.
“We’re bringing communities closer together which is the main goal for us”, Mr Adams says.
“The existing trail from Pauanui is already popular throughout the year and attracts tens of thousands of users over summer. By connecting it all the way to Tairua, we’re opening up a scenic and accessible route to everyone that we think will come to be known as one of the country’s best
one-day trails.”
Aside from the health and recreation benefits of having a great new trail on our doorstep, Mr Adams thinks it will boost local business all year round.
“Connecting with a regular Tairua-Pauanui ferry service in future, trail users would be able to complete it as a unique loop – starting at one end with a coffee, finishing with a drink and a meal at the other end, then catching a quick boat ride back to their starting point.
“We also see environmental benefits for the precious Tairua River estuary. Our team of volunteers are helping revive native bird populations by pest trapping and planting native trees along the existing route.”
The completed trail will also offer safety benefits in Tairua by providing pedestrians a fully off-road route between the southern end of town and the school, Mr Adams says.
Following consultation with a wide range of stakeholders including landowners, Thames Coromandel District Council, the local community board, DoC, Iwi, Waka Kotahi, Environment Waikato, Heritage NZ, Walking Access NZ and community groups, the Trust decided a bridge and 15km route
connecting the towns would be more feasible than a longer route along the river via Hikuai.
It expects to lodge a resource consent application for the next stages of construction next year, with the aim of completing the trail in the next few years.
“Public support will be hugely important to getting this project done and we’ll be encouraging the community to have their say over the summer. In the meantime, we want people to get out and about on the existing trail, to see more of what the beautiful eastern Coromandel has to offer,” Mr
Adams says.
When completed, the trail will connect to other walking and mountain bike trails in the area, and could potentially be joined up with New Zealand’s national trail network via a route over the Coromandel Ranges in the future.
Mr Adams acknowledged the tireless work of Trust founder Gary Fowler and countless volunteers to build and maintain the trail to a high standard over nearly two decades. Mr Fowler will continue as an advisor to the Trust.