Track end finally in sight
South Roads foreman Mike Bell with Heritage Properties archaeologist Megan Lawrence at the site of the walkway.
The new section will take cyclists and walkers off SH1 and connect them to footpaths in the Bluff township.
Once finished, it will form part of the Te Araroa trail, a 3000km walking track spanning the length of New Zealand. For Te Araroa trail executive director Mark Weatherall, it’s a win.
“At the moment, approximately 14 percent of the trail is on roads. Our single biggest goal is to reduce that to less than 10 percent, and this project will help us to achieve that.
“From our perspective, it will be so much safer and nicer for the walkers to walk this part of the trail off road. We’re super appreciative to the parties who have been a part of making this happen.”
Environment Southland lead transport planner Russell Hawkes says construction was delayed at the start of 2020 while an archaeological assessment was carried out.
The assessment shows the trail will follow the 1860s road and rail corridor along an earlier ara tawhito (traditional travel route). Awarua is associated with coastal Māori occupation (such as Te kainga o Te Wera), with stone and kai moana resource use, and early post contact Māori and European settlements.
“The delays have been quite fortuitous,” Russell says.
“We’ve not only found out that the area we are in is quite historically significant, but it’s also given us time to get additional funding from Waka Kotahi approved to seal this final section of the track.”
Construction of the final section started in October, and if no archaeological finds are discovered and the weather plays ball, it is expected to take six months.
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