Part of the Kawarau Gorge between Cromwell and Queenstown. Photo: 123RF A key piece in the vision of connecting Queenstown and Dunedin airports by cycle trail can now proceed.
Otago is a step closer to the largest contiguous cycle trail in the Southern Hemisphere with the Kawarau Gorge Trail now getting the green light after objections in the Environment Court were settled.
The 35-kilometre Kawarau Gorge Trail will link the highly acclaimed Dunstan Trail at Bannockburn to Queenstown’s network at Gibbston Valley. Part of the Dunstan Trail. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon Central Otago Queenstown Trails Network Trust executive trustee Janeen Wood said although the trail would need to be built through the inhospitable Kawarau Gorge, the more arduous task was just getting to this point.
"This funding has been in place since 2018. So what’s been embarrassing is questions from Treasury wanting to know when is the project ready to go, but it’s been held up with the bureaucracy of bits and pieces and consenting. But we’re through that now so that’s really good."
The trail already had consent, however, an objection was filed with the Environment Court.
The trust and the objectors reached an agreement, and the trail could now proceed.
Inland Otago is home to five of New Zealand’s Great Rides and this project was another step in linking them all together and providing one contiguous network from Queenstown to Dunedin.Trust chairman Stephen Jeffery said it was exciting to resume progress on the Kawarau Gorge Trail, as part of the $26 […]
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