Wheelchair users to be beach bound by summer

Cindy Clare and Dave MacCalman are the instigators of beach access mats for Waihi Beach in time for summer. Photo / Cassandra Sharp Photography

Waihi Beach is rolling out the welcome mat for wheelchair users in time for summer.

The next initiative of the Accessible Waihi Beach movement is beach access mats which are expected to be in place by Labour weekend.

Last year, a Waihi Beach local expressed sadness via social media that her wheelchair-bound partner could not gain access to the beach.

Waihi Beach Events and Promotions marketing coordinator Cindy Clare says the community reaction was immense.

''They expressed that this was simply not good enough, and that absolutely everyone, no matter their capability, should be able to enjoy the beach. And so this started!''

In January two beach wheelchairs — free to use — worth more than $16,000 were donated by LJ Hooker and a local beach resident.

This was the first step and Cindy says the Waihi Beach community wanted to go further and provide easy access for all on to the beach. The project was guided by Waihi Beach Community Events & Promotions and local Dave MacCalman, of the Halberg Foundation.

Dave wanted more opportunities for people with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors and access Waihi Beach's coastline.

Dave, who gets about in a wheelchair, represented New Zealand at three Paralympic Games, yet the only time he had accessed Waihi Beach waves was from a quad bike in the 1980s.

"We drove it down there and then my wife then piggy-backed me into the water," he says.

He is thrilled the access mats will be ready in time for summer this year.

Fundraising for the $40,000 project was largely community driven with more than 80 per cent raised by businesses and individuals as well as a Givealittle page.

There are beach access mats at Mount Maunganui, Takapuna and Wellington. The difference is Waihi Beach community has made this happen through its own initiative and funding, Cindy says.

The mats will be laid near the mobility toilets at the north end of Waihi Beach.

Sixty metres of matting will be laid with another 20 square metres of matting placed beside it where wheelchairs can be parked.

The mats are made of recycled polyester and have a longevity of 8-10 years.