Boat rides with a bike: Paeroa Maritime Park $1.1 million wharf and riverboat investment

ON THE RIVER: Colin and Gloria James (right) with Winston Peters and Basil Morrison last week.

Cyclists on the Hauraki Rail Trail will soon be able to step on a riverboat from Paeroa Historic Maritime Museum and land at an all-tide wharf and pontoons in the town. The $1.1 million project, paid for with $730,000 Provincial Growth Fund grant and $400,000 from Hauraki District Council, will build a community jetty on the Ohinemuri River, three pontoons, and a new riverboat to ferry people and bikes between the museum in the Paeroa Historical Maritime Park and Wharf St in town.

Hauraki Mayor Toby Adams said the Hauraki Rail Trail was key to tourism and he was "100 per cent" focused on ensuring Waihi also benefited, with investment from the council bringing the trail right into Waihi town.

The trail finishes at the terminus of the Goldfields Railway vintage train, which runs between Waikino and Waihi. It is a 20-minute walk from there into Seddon St. "We need to get off our butts and make sure that the rail trail connects into town. "We want tourists to turn their ride from a day trip to multi-day and stay in all of our towns. They can take a riverboat from the trail to Paeroa, ride to Waikino and take a train or cycle to Waihi."

The council also wantedto extend a cycle trail into Waihi Beach.

Deputy PM Winston Peters has a genuine love of restoring old boats and has one of his own. PHOTO/Alison Smith.

On a visit to the park on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said it was nice to be putting money back into Paeroa and the Thames Valley.

"It's truly charming to be here and to add some serious grunt to the future tourism development of this part of the country.

"So many times I've looked at the bridge and wondered what's going on. I was always fascinated to see what you are doing.

"The magic thing about Coromandel of course and Thames is that it was built by the water – through the waterways and streams."

Welcomed by John Linstead of Ngati Hako, Peters spoke about wanting to open the transtasman bubble as soon as possible: "The more they can come here, the better."

Adams said the Ohinemuri River has historically been a huge network for Māori and later for Pakeha, and it was fitting to connect it back to the Paeroa central business district.

"People have shared memories of arriving by boat at Wharf Street for a big night out at the movies. Cruising into town by riverboat again will be such a great complement to the Hauraki Rail Trail and a huge drawcard for tourists, providing opportunities for businesses and much-needed jobs and opportunities in the wake of Covid-19," he said.

Former Hauraki mayor and Maritime Park patron Basil Morrison said the investment presented opportunity to create employment and education for boat building. Classic boat regattas were also a possibility as riverboats ran from Paeroa to Kopu and Te Aroha.

For Paeroa Historical Maritime Park chairman Colin James and his wife Gloria, seeing the project get under way is an emotional milestone and the realisation of a long held vision.

ON THE RIVER: Colin and Gloria James (right) with Winston Peters and Basil Morrison last week.

"To create a multi-purpose tourist and historical attraction and unlock the huge potential of the park has been the dream of hard-working volunteers for many years. Just watch this space, this is just the beginning," James said.

Stage two of the development includes a centre with an educational focus, conference facilities and cafe.