Russell - Ōpua walking track gets $71,500 from community board

Bay of Islands Walkways Trust volunteers work on the Russell - Ōpua walking track, which has been granted $71,500 so the work can be finished.

Work to upgrade a 7.5km shared pathway between Russell and Ōpua will continue after an injection of funds, bringing the prospect of a 70km cycling track within reach.

The pathway, which will enable cyclists, walkers and runners to travel on to Hōreke, has been granted $71,500 by the Bay of Island-Whangaroa Community Board.

Volunteers from the Bay of Islands Walkways Trust have completed sections of the pathway from Russell to the car ferry at Ōkiato. The grant will enable the trust to do more, including work on sections that are more difficult to construct.

About 5km of the pathway consists of a 2.5m-wide shared track, while the remaining 2.5km runs along the roadside.

The new section from Russell to the Ōpua Ferry Terminal at Ōkiato allows track users to link with the Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail and continue to Hōreke in the Hokianga.

For the most enthusiastic track users, this will enable them to cycle from Russell to Hōreke – a distance of about 70km.

Some of the recent work on the Russell - Ōpua walking track, which, when finished, will allow people to get from Russell to Hōreke in the Hokianga, by cycle.

The trust has been working closely with the council, Northland Transportation Alliance staff, and the Pou Herenga Tai Twin Coast Cycle Trail Trust.

The total cost of the project is $182,000. Costs outlined so far include $60,000 for track building, $30,000 for volunteers, and others arising from signage, planting, traffic management, and track promotion.

The project will be maintained by the community with no operational cost to the council. The community board’s funding for the project came from its placemaking fund.

Some of the pathway sections to be tackled include around Te Wahapu Road and the driveway of the Omata Estate Vineyard and Kitchen.