RNZAF members get stuck into track (+ video)

Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel assist in clearing some of the track, which when completed will link Boyes Beach to the Lake Okareka campsite. Photo / Ben Fraser

Members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force offered some manpower to help build the track to extend the Lake Okareka walkway.

When completed, the 1500m track will link Boyes Beach to the Lake Okareka campsite through the Lake Okareka Scenic Reserve.

Twenty-two members of the material support wing based at Ohakea joined forces with volunteers from the Lake Okareka Community Association (LOCA) and Landcare Okareka for a working bee from 9am to 12pm yesterday, as part of their annual adventure training exercise. They arrived on Sunday and left yesterday afternoon, and also enjoyed mountain biking and tramping through Whakarewarewa Forest while they were here.

Flying officer Blair Theodore said the group enjoyed getting involved in the community.

"It was awesome, we got really positive feedback from the guys. It was a really good opportunity to do some hard work. It is cool to get to different areas out of Rotorua."

Mr Theodore was impressed with the project. "The amount of work they have done and that they have all volunteered to do it is amazing," he said.

Sandra Goodwin from LOCA said the air force group's efforts were appreciated.

"They cleared a lot of the duff from the track, it was brilliant."

Mr Theodore said the planning committee for the event had read about the volunteer project online.

The finished walkway will feature a boardwalk through the wetlands, an area under threat from rats, possums and wallabies.

Members of LOCA and Landcare Okareka have been meeting once a week and on the first Saturday of every month since October last year to complete the track. The estimated cost for the project is $150,000.