By Josephine Mead, Partnerships Ranger, Franz Josef.
An exciting project has come to fruition in recent months at the Franz Josef Glacier Village.
The Glacier Country Mountain Bike Club, supported by the Franz Josef Community Council, have been working with DOC to construct a cycle and walking track alongside the Tatare Stream.
A new track alongside Tatare Stream
This track will enable people to exercise or commute more safely by avoiding a long stretch of the State Highway.
Conservation Volunteers New Zealand have also lent some muscle to the project. Their volunteers come from all around the world including the United Kingdom, Switzerland and even some willing students from Taiwan who have come to New Zealand to expand their skill base.
Volunteers getting stuck in
Thanks to the hard work from volunteers, and with fantastic earthworks by local business Franz Hire, Stage One – the first 500 metres – of the track is complete!
Earthworks thanks to Franz Hire
Once fully completed, the cycle and walking track will offer a safe and scenic link between Franz Josef and the subdivisions to the north, as well as a beautiful mountain bike track for locals and visitors.
There will be more opportunities to get involved as the track grows – contact the Franz Josef Office if you’d like to help with track building or planting.
A big thanks to our volunteers
A big thanks to all those involved for their valuable contribution to this project.
Appreciate this post. Will try it out.
We hope you enjoy it Jeremy.
DOC – you totally rock. We can’t wait to check this out when when we come down this summer.
This is a wonderful initiative and great to see the collaboration between the community, volunteers, clubs and business. Great things can be achieved when we all work together. Look forward to checking this out next time down south.
A great page! I write environmentally aware fiction stories for children based on fact. I’ve got two chapter books about a feisty weka trekking from Greymouth to Canterbury and i’m looking for a sponsor/s. Is there anyone I can talk to about it? Kinsa
Kia ora Kinsa,
To get the best response it’d be best to send your enquiry via the contact page on the DOC website. The people who look after the various emails etc listed there have the knowledge to connect you to the right people. All the best.