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!

​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!

​


​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.​

​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.

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.

It has now been more than 18 months since progress has been made on Stage 3 of the trail from Duck Creek on Hikuai Settlement Rd to Prescott’s Garages in Hikuai. Work is scheduled to start again after Easter, with construction of a 1.8km section of trail starting close to Prescott’s Garages and working eastwards towards Pauanui. This section of the trail will be constructed in the parcel of land between the road and the adjacent property boundaries, known as the road reserve.

The Hikuai District Trust, a charitable trust responsible for planning and building the trail, has completed the following in preparation for the upcoming work.  

• Consultation with Thames-Coromandel District Council’s roading manager and adjacent land owners
• Development and approval of the construction methodology
• Detailed survey and pegging of the road reserve boundary
• Preliminary design of two bridges required near to Prescott’s Garages and at Boom Creek
• Preparation of a Traffic Management Plan

Stage 3 adds to the 6.4km of trail that has been built since work first started in 2012.  Watch the Stage 3 flyover video at http://www.pauanuitairuatrail.org.nz/gallery.html

Project Manager Andy Bolton says the team of volunteer trail builders are eager to get back to work on the trail.
“We’re delighted to be able to say we will be back at work after Easter once the traffic management plan is approved” Andy says. The existing 6.4km of trail has proven to be hugely popular, with more than 13,000 users recorded between November 2020 and the end of January 2021.
​
The trail also provided part of the course for the second annual Pauanui Half Marathon on 20 March 2021.  The marathon supports the trail with proceeds from the event. (More information www.pauanuihalfmarathon.co.nz)
“Community support is rewarding for the team of volunteers who have poured thousands of hours into the trail’s construction,” Andy says.  “So often when we are out working on the trail, people tell us how wonderful they think it is,” he says. “The feedback is encouraging and we are often asked when more stages will be opened up.
“This trail is a great asset to the Pauanui and Tairua communities, who will reap the value of this hard work in years to come,” Andy says.

Trail News and Maintenance
Good weather and the lack of adverse conditions over the last month have meant that Trail usage has continued to build. The committee is looking at ways of improving the Trail surface in some areas to enhance the utilisation & experience of users and ease ongoing maintenance requirements.
Website
The website and Facebook page update is ongoing. Committee member profile updates are underway.
Predator Control
The following pests were eradicated over the reporting period: 2 x possum 5 x rats 4 x Good Nature Kills AT220 traps are working well. These kill both possums and rats. A graph showing seasonal pest kill rates will be added to our website. This indicates that February through to April is when the target pests are most active. Trail Usage Counter 2256 passes for the period 22nd August – 20th September.
Funding
Pub Charity funding has enabled a much needed upgrade to our sand dumper to be completed. Submissions to Local Body, National Authority and other donors / benefactors are being investigated. We would like to thank the organisers of the Tairua Trail & Tides Run / Walk event for their generous donation towards Stage 4 and look forward to this year’s event. See our Facebook page for more details. Firewood sales and public donations are ongoing.
Trail Stage 3 Progress
Progress along the Marginal Strip adjacent to the Tairua River is currently halted at the boundary between TCDC and DoC administered land. We are investigating the possibility of partnering with Iwi, Walking Access NZ, WRC and DoC to return this section of the River Esplanade to an area where the public can see and be involved in a wetland restoration as part of the Trail construction. We believe this is aligned with the bottom line principles of both Walking Access NZ and DoC with regard to the health of our wetlands and restoring public access to publicly owned areas. We believe that local property owners from Pauanui, Hikuai and Tairua could take a role in this partnership.
Trail Stage 4
The committee has now walked a possible route from the Tairua School to the Tairua Cemetery. We believe a walk / cycle way through this area would provide Tairua with a much needed safe access way to the Cemetery as well as an impressive start / finish point to the Trail to Hikuai. A basic map showing how this could be achieved will be developed for discussion and comment by all stakeholders and the public in general. Research into viable construction methods is underway. We await comment on the TCDC produced a map showing a possible alignment of Stage 4 of the Trail between Hikuai and Tairua circulated to stakeholders.
Health & Safety
Signage and Trail improvements are ongoing to ensure a superior experience by all Trail users.