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‘Advocating Cycling in Taupo’
NEWSLETTER 7
Hi Bike Taupo Member,
where has the last three months gone - we are still
treadling along making dents and imprints in Taupo�s cycling
culture. Here�s the next newsyletter letting you all know what
we�ve been up to and what others have been up to lately! Remember, if
anyone would like to add something to our newsletter that�s cycling
related please email us with it
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Contents:
- The Tunnels!
- Cycling Workshop Outcomes
- Wairakei Forest Park - Mountain Bike Club Teams Race
- The Rotary Ride - update
- Earth Shattering Projects
- Huka Western Bypass - we need you!
- Website News
- Upcoming Events
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1. THE TUNNELS
We now build tracks underground! You read right. We are proud
to have the first purpose built bikers tunnel in the area. It�s in
the Wairakei Forest Park and is really cool. A huge THANKS go to
awesome support from the many members that turned up to the working B
on Saturday 28th May. Thanks to you guys it was finished in a
day! And a huge huge huge THANKS to Kernohan for lending the
digger - these machines are amazing, cutting out many man hours of
digging! Go to the website to check out the photos or better still go
for a ride at Wairakei - you can�t miss it - it starts at the car park
and goes beneath the horse trail this also means a new start to the
corkscrew tracks. We have been given a second tunnel which will go
in under the tank stand track. These tunnels mean no more conflict
with those tall four legged creatures that neigh! Yay!
We are also searching high and low for funding to build an underpass
beneath Craters Road and that means no more conflict with four wheeled
creatures that beep and squash!
Other Wairakei News:
The other exciting thing we will let you in on is - we are hoping to
make a track that will go somewhere and pass through nowhere and you�ll
be able to bike from Helistar Caf� to the Wairakei Tracks without
crossing the road. No, we can�t say any more but it should
increase your life expectancy.
2. CYCLING WORKSHOP OUTCOMES
A very successful workshop hosted by the Taupo District Council took
place at the end of March. The Cycle Strategy Team received some
great feedback on making cycling in Taupo even better. We got to
talk about the positives and negatives of being a cyclist on our Taupo
roads, and provided ideas and wishes to change the culture and
infrastructure for cycling. The outcomes can be viewed online.
3. WAIRAKEI FOREST PARK - MOUNTAIN BIKE CLUB TEAMS RACE
Sunday 5 June 2005. Come along with $15 per rider. Rego is from
9am with race kicking off at 10am. 3.5 hours over a 6.5km track of
fast fun stuff. Teams are the go with a max of 4 people allowed
(or 2 or 3). Of course if you are fit and hard core then you are
welcome to do the race as an individual (a little back-breaking but an
achievement all the same!). Now this is the only teams race this
winter so you don�t want to miss it. FREE bbq and drinks now I know
you�ll be there!
Another race is scheduled for 10 July which will be a 30km or 18km ride around the fantastic Wairakei tracks.
Its forever changing out there and the latest will get you on your
bikes investigating!!!!! Check out the Events Calendar on Bike
Taupo�s website for details. Both races are wonderfully and
fantastically sponsored by GroundEffect!
4. THE ROTARY RIDE - UPDATE
We are continually titivating this yummy track to Huka Falls and its going to be even yummier!
Before we go into these changes it must be said that all the work on
the Rotary Ride can only be done by hand and volunteer
labour. Those hard working people chip away at the track in their
spare time and in most cases on their own spending an hour here and
there - it all helps and makes the job easier and faster. SO if
you like to lend a hand please give Pete Masters a call on 377 2286 or
Richard Balm on 377 2121.
OK enough of begging on our knees for your invaluable help here comes the changes
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DoC have approved changes to the hill from the ladder bridge so
we will extend the single track and cut out the hill that has the green
matting on it. This means the track will go all the way out to the
point at much better gradient and the big bonus aside from it being
easier on the dicky-ticker - the view over the river will be
awesome. Aha we feel you are getting excited be patient precious
as this will take a while to build and will be just chipped away at
over the winter months.
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The Huka Lodge down hill is about to be extended to come out
around the blind corner on the straight - this should bring down the
head on hit meter.
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Hands up who knows the yuk pumice cutting uphill (heading back
to Taupo). You know the hill you can see it before you even get to
it! Well good news we will build a new single up hill only track
in the vicinity which should make riding home to Taupo a bit easer on
the legs and stop those interesting conflicts with downhill traffic.
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We are laying the matting on the northern end of the track
at the moment which should stop the slip sliding carnage on the papa
rock.
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Our feelers are out for funding to make a brand new entry exit
in Spa Park. This should hopefully make it more obvious where the
track starts!!
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Also seeking funding to change the track currently through the
new pines. At the moment it�s pretty much a straight line. We
are looking to make it more interesting and have it meandering through
the gully.
We believe the Rotary Ride is our most important track and
therefore we need to keep improving it - it can only get better and
better!
5. OTHER EARTH SHATTERING PROJECTS
Let�s make Bike Taupo�s work known in town - that�s the latest thinking
of our ever brainstorming committee. We have identified these HOT
projects that we could instigate:
• Put reasonable recreational paths/tracks through some of the
gully systems in the town (Hyde Ave/Titoki Ave to Richmond Ave; Harvey
Street/Shepherds Road to Arrowsmith Ave. We researched other
countries that make use of similar reserve areas to provide
biking/walking routes off the roads. Great for families, school
kids etc.
• An underpass from Richmond Heights to Rainbow Point. There
has sadly already been one death on the State Highway in this
area. Its really hard for any age to determine how fast those four
wheeled monsters are going as the speed limit goes from 100kms to 70kms
to 50kms pretty quickly!
Hopefully these urban impacts will not be a dream for too long as a
serious source for funding has been identified and approached.
6. HUKA WESTERN BYPASS - we need you
It�s pretty boggy in there and so on Saturday 11 June at 9am we are
having a Working B to load some pumice onto the track. Should take
an hour max if we get a good turn out. Bring along your
wheelie-barrow and/or a spade. Just like a chain gang !!! Fun Fun
Fun
7. WEBSITE NEWS
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Ever wanted to keep in touch with what our awesome track crew are up
to?? We now have a new page on the website entitled just that
TRACK CREW . Visit here to check out the latest maintenance and
new projects. You�ll also be told the project contact in case you
have a spare hour to volunteer your spade handling skills.
- Use your login! That gives you more menu options on the
left, like Meeting Minutes, a searchable Member list and the option to
add items (Calendar, Weblinks) to the website, so you can let everyone
know about your events. etc.
Forgotten your password? Click here. Your login name is usually your 'fullname', without gaps, unless you have created your account yourself. If all fails, email us with your name and we can reset it.
8. UPCOMING EVENTS
Keen as Mustard? Check out Bike Taupo�s website for more details.
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