$1.88m puts cycle plan in top gear

A Government investment of $1.88 million into the Hawke's Bay cycleway will rebrand the Bay as an iconic cycling destination, say residents and local tourism operators.
Funding has been approved for a cycleway for the Heretaunga Ararua Landscapes trail under Te Mata Peak.
The trail will loop around Tukituki valley, Te Mata Peak and Havelock North before winding along the coastline between Haumoana and Te Awanga.
Construction is expected to begin in summer.
Haumoana's Keith Newman, spokesman for Cape Coast erosion lobbying group Walking on Water, said the cycleway would help rebrand the seaside community from erosion victim to tourist destination.
"The cycleway will bring more people and will be a great sense of pride to this community," Mr Newman said.
"Often the focus is on our erosion issues and we need to get past that and beautify and protect what is a regional asset."
He hoped the cycleway would mean money is put aside to contain the erosion and turn the seaside village into the kind of place where people will stop and spend a few days.
His vision is that the cycleway will be considered an extension of Marine Parade - and as popular.
"Where they plan to put the cycle track it's full of puddles and unsafe to walk on - I think that the area needs to be beautified so we can all benefit from this."
Beautification will bring the tourists, and for the cycleway to succeed work needed to be done to make the section of coast a place to stop and stay, Mr Newman said.
Another person excited about the new cycleway is Greg Bigg who owns Hawke's Bay Cycle Tours - a company that specialises in taking scenic guided cycle tours of Hawke's Bay more picturesque places.
Mr Bigg said the cycleway would be "fantastic" for the Bay and the chosen path had views that would keep punters coming back.
"From our point of view it gives us a new destination and a new trail for less experienced cyclists.
"We go out that way anyway on the road so it will be a lot safer for us."
An upside of the trail would be more people recognise Hawke's Bay as a prime cycling destination and stay for a number of days said Mr Bigg. The announcement yesterday was a coup for the Bay say local MPs Craig Foss and Chris Tremain with further investigation going into a potential second trail located to the west of Napier Airport.
"It's all a part of turning Hawke's Bay into the cycling capitol of New Zealand," said Mr Foss.
The Heretaunga Ararua Landscapes trail was one of eight new cycle tracks nationwide to be granted funding yesterday.
Hawke's Bay joined Opotiki/Gisborne, Taupo, Nelson/Tasman, Westport, Mount Cook/Waitaki, Queenstown and Clutha in being granted their share of $18.85 million being spent on cycleways nationwide.