Exciting plans for cycling trail 

Recreational cycling is BIG these days.  A drive around Martinborough any day of the week makes that obvious, with bikes of all shapes and sizes and riders of varying ability out enjoying the fresh country air.  Now there is a plan to take it to a whole new level by creating riding trails to link the five towns in our region.

The Martinborough Business Association invited Greg Lang, the Mayor of Carterton and Chair of the Wairarapa Trails Action Group to speak at their AGM last month.  Greg’s a passionate advocate for the concept and it’s also enthusiastically backed by the other councils and Greater Wellington.  

What will this project look like when it is finished?  “You should be able to bike on proper sealed paths from the Remutaka Incline all the way to Masterton and then back along the Ruamahunga River.   The paths will be built to be a family friendly, easy ride (Grade II).  A spiderweb of new and existing trails will eventually give us 200-300km of safe, off road track.”

“It will be a game changer for the Wairarapa.  It will give locals and visitors new, free, healthy recreational opportunities, makes cycle commuting between the towns a real possibility and provide a significant economic boost too.”  

Those of you who know the area well might be scratching your heads and asking “Aren’t there a few rivers in there!”   That’s certainly one of the big challenges so it was great news when the Government recently announced a $1million grant to build a 150m suspension bridge over the Tauherenikau river.  It will be a drawcard in its own right, being one of the longest in the country. 

The Action Group is working with all the different organisations that have an interest in the project, to create a shared vision for the development and management of the trail.   The map shows the ultimate scope of the project.  So start getting bike-ready for all those wonderful summer trips around the region in a few years.