If you live in Rotorua, chances are you have a bond with The Redwoods.
There's something quite humble about the forest.
Despite thousands of visitors pouring through each year, there's not a hint of commercialism with only a small visitor information centre, gift shop and coffee cart at the maincarpark. At the weekend the first fixed tourism attraction at the site was blessed, ahead of its official opening to the public next month. Redwood Treewalk takes users up to 12m off the ground as they walk through the forest. The 553m walk takes the user across 21 suspensions bridges and 12 decks.
It is the brainchild of Alex Schmid from Germany, who was given a lease by the Rotorua District Council to build the treewalk in what is officially known as Tokorangi Forest.
It's fair to say not everyone is excited about the venture. Some people have posted comments on social media that the Redwoods are sacred and should not be open for commercial gain.
Others worry it will become too busy with busloads of visitors, affecting Joe Bloggs runner who wants to grab a park and go for a quiet and peaceful run in the forest.
Mr Schmid is an expert at this kind of thing. He has operated similar ventures in Europe.
I've also seen comments on Facebook at the weekend from impressed locals who have said the entire operation is suspended and there's not one hole in a tree. This is an extremely eco-friendly operation. Still, there will be more traffic in the area as a result and how we feel about that remains to be seen. There's a fine line between protecting what is special to us and standing in the way of progress.
I, for one, look forward to my first walk. At $25 for an adult, it's probably something I'd only do once unless I was showing guests through it. Maybe as a sweetener to get locals on side, the owners can look at a cheaper deal for Rotorua residents.
