Trail News and Maintenance
Flooding has closed the Hikuai Settlement Road twice since our last meeting. The Trail has come through pretty well and has been usable after each event once fallen trees, a couple of slips and debris have been cleared. Other damage seems to be confined to minor scouring on the inclined sections as before. The flooding hasn’t hindered the hardy trail riders from using it.
Predator Control
The following pests were eradicated over the reporting period:
3 x possum
10 x rats
1 x stoat
3 x Good Nature Kills
Trail Usage
Counter 2450 passes for the period Mid-May to Mid-June with 1400 passes over the first week of the school holidays.
Funding
The 2019 Tairua Trail and Tides Run and the 2020 Pauanui Half Marathon are current public fund raisers for the trail. Submissions to Local Body, National Authority and other donors / benefactors are underway. Firewood sales and public donations are ongoing.
Stage 3 Progress
A meeting with DoC to discuss Trail progress originally scheduled for July 16th was postponed due to flooding and has been rescheduled to take place on July 28th . Further meetings with all stakeholders are in the planning stages. Trail Stage 4 Some discussions regarding where and how the trail is to proceed from Hikuai to Tairua and beyond are underway. Contact with the Ngati Hei and the TCDC Community Board have been made. The Pinnacles Cycle Club is also in contact.
​Health & Safety:
Additional “Hidden Driveway” signs have been installed on a driveway where the trail crosses behind the newly installed safety barrier west of the Duck Creek Bridge. 

The 4th/5th January storm dealt the Waterways boardwalk a devastating blow.

The Trail Committee is now desperate for funds to cover the $20,000 cost of materials and machine hire required for the repair. The considerable labour involved has been supplied at no cost.

​​The usual Trail Committee suspects set aside all other commitments immediately after the storm and together with a large number of enthusiastic and hard working local volunteers set to work. Within 5 days the boardwalk was temporarily fixed to the point it could be used.   
                 

Previous repairs have generally held up well.  The high tide, storm surge and large waves caused by strong winds proved too much, however, for some of the original structure.
​
At least 30 new blade piles, with extensions will be driven in deeper than before. These piles should withstand even the tremendous pressure generated by the recent combination of adverse weather and tide conditions.




We are looking for donations which might, for example, cover the cost of a blade pile (30 required at $500 each), a bearer (6 required at $100 each) or a wooden pile (8 required at $50 each). But any donation will be gratefully received.

Donations should be paid to the Hikuai District Trust (a registered charity).
On line (or banked) to account number:  03 0458 0277108 00, or
Posted to the Trust’s treasurer Bill Witt, P.O. Box 97, Pauanui 3546
Requests for a receipt can be emailed to Bill:    [email protected]
 
 

Fixed

What a machine! Kayd Tapp from Stump and Grind provided his machine free of charge yesterday to grind out all the unwanted stumps and large number of roots across the trail. The self propelled remotely controlled machine
"Spartacus" walked in from Tangiteroria Lane and then from the Ops area as, at 3 tonne, we could not risk getting it over the bridge at Tangiteroria Stream. This powerful machine devoured all in its path (see photo ).

Our maintenance crew of Peter, John and I were filling in the holes left by the machine and also acting as safety sentries both in front and behind the machine to stop any trail users getting too close. It did an awesome job!

​Many thanks to Kayd who confirmed he would come back next year to do further
work if we required it for free!

Cheers
Andy

John McKenzie's love affair with Bob continues and he has clocked up a lot of hours so far. He and Peter MIllen have made some great improvements to parts of the existing Trail.

Groups of other volunteers have planted a significant number of different trees alongside the Trail.

One way and another Trail users can be expected  to enjoy the Trail even more as time goes by.

Our thanks again to the people who made Bob's purchase possible.

                                                                         A picture paints ............................................................!