The full Twin Coast Cycle Trail, Pou Herenga Tai, opened in early 2017 and is the northernmost
of the 22 Great Rides that make up Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail network.
We’ll take a trip along the trail, which stretches across Northland from
the Bay of Islands to the Hokianga Harbour.
We start in Opua, asking Mayor John Carter how the trail is going so far.
Well, it’s been magic, actually, and it’s only in its infancy and you can see the potential
of what’s likely to happen as a consequence of having this here and it’ll have a significant
positive commercial impact, economic impact, tourism impact, social impact
on our whole district.
Next stop is Kawakawa, where competitors in the first annual Te Rima multisport event
are taking to their bikes.
Marea Timoko is supporting staff and students of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Kaikohe, where
she is tumuaki, or principal.
We’ve got one solo student, three teams – three student teams – and two staff
teams – two mixed teams – and oh I’m amazed and I’m proud and
I just think it's way cool, and if this isn’t about pushing our health and wellbeing and,
you know, what is?
From Kawakawa, we head to Kaikohe – one of the largest towns in the north and around
half way along the trail.
Local resident Ray Clarke has started a shuttle and bike hire service.
He says they’re much busier so far this season, and growth has been dramatic.
We’ve now got three vans or buses and about 80 bikes.
I employ guides to guide groups mainly associated with the cruise ship market and I employ a
couple of drivers.
Ray’s new venture is beginning to take off, as are other businesses across the Mid-North.
It’s good to see that there is a little bit of movement and excitement in all of the
communities related to the trail, really, to take advantage of the numbers of cyclists
that we all expect we will start to see.
In the nearby village of Okaihau, Noeline Inverarity’s boutique accommodation business,
Okaihau Rail Stay, is seeing the benefit of more visitors coming through the town.
I had this carriage and the ablution block for about three and a half years, realised
one wasn’t enough, I needed to expand, so I had these other ones up and running January
this year.
So I’m coming into my first full season.
I virtually have my no vacancy sign up the whole time.
I get lots of bookings through the internet and it’s just, it’s good, I absolutely
enjoy it.
The cyclists are just such nice people.
I come out here and mix and mingle at night time and, yeah, it’ a really enjoyable business,
one that I just find that I've been able to ease myself into and it’s going
better than I imagined.
Yeah.
Okaihau is much smaller, but like Kaikohe had been declining for many years.
Though new businesses, such as eateries and accommodation, are needed in the area, Noeline
is hopeful things are about to change.
I think we’re going to look back in a few years’ time and go, “Wow, look what
the cycleway’s done for our township.”
At the end of the trail, in the remote community of Horeke, pub owner Peter Maddren is more
reticent.
I’ve taken on a housekeeper/cleaner, which is the first time, that’s fairly recent.
And training her up, because, you know, the rooms are getting used
a bit more than they were.
Not enough yet, but a little bit more than they were.
The Horeke section of the trail opened six months ago, so its early days for this historic
and strikingly beautiful area on the shores of the Hokianga Harbour.
Well, we need a lot more accommodation in Horeke for it to work for this community so
that everybody gets a piece of the action, if you like.
I’m working on the old house built out over the water that has four more rooms in it,
so eventually there’ll be a bit more accommodation but still not enough, still not enough.
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment administers central government funding for
Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail.
We’re helping to create high quality tourism assets that can provide ongoing employment
and economic development opportunities, as well as health and social benefits
for local communities.
For more information, visit mbie.govt.nz.