Cycleway 'heaven' opens behind Gate Pa School

Gate Pa School has officially opened two new bike paths for the children and community.

The first path had been completed last year and circled the school's top field with plenty of humps and bumps to keep things interesting.

The second track, built during the Christmas break, was tucked into a bit of inner city paradise - a forested gully in the land behind the school.

Yesterday following the usual ribbon cutting and thank-you speeches, the schoolchildren and sponsors of the project finally got the chance to wheel around the new paths.

"It's been a wonderful community project and the kids are very excited. They've been using the first bike path before and after school and during interval but they've been dying to get on to the gully track," principal Richard Inder said.

The gully track they dubbed the Pukehinahina Track, wound through lovely trees and native bush previously used for cross country.

Now it could be used as an off-road community cycleway and a way to help pupils get to and from school.

Both paths would help kids and families get active and stay safe, Mr Inder said.

To get the bike paths installed had been a real collaborative effort, Mr Inder said, and without the help from all the groups it would never have happened.

The Bikes in Schools Charitable Trust donated $10,000 for new bikes and Tauranga Rotary donated another $6000, resulting in 50 new bikes for the schoolchildren to use. Travel Safe chipped in with 50 helmets of all sizes.

Tauranga City Council helped fund the building of the track and Higgins built both tracks.

Container Co provided a shipping container to store the bikes and helmets.

Principal Richard Inder and Teacher/Bikes in Schools Ambassador Jacob Cross check out new mountain bike track at the back of Gate Pa School. Photo/Andrew Warner