GREAT HEIGHTS: Redwoods Treewalk general manager Alex Schmid at the site of his new tourism venture. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
GREAT HEIGHTS: Redwoods Treewalk general manager Alex Schmid at the site of his new tourism venture. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
Work is about to start on a new tourist attraction for Rotorua which will see people strolling through the Redwood Forest 6m to 12m up in the air.
The Redwoods Treewalk is the brainchild of German entrepreneur Alex Schmid who has been working on the project for the past six years.
The walk will start and finish next to the Redwoods Visitor Centre on Long Mile Rd, travel for a distance of 550m, with access via a spiral staircase 6m high.
The highest point of the walk is 12m and no harnesses or safety gear will be required. There are no age restrictions, but users must be able to walk by themselves.
"We have only four poles on the ground, all the other platforms are just hanging on the trees. We don't drill any holes in the trees or use any screws as that's a big part of the engineering of the walkway," Mr Schmid said.
"We want to keep it as natural as we can. To get a different view of nature and the redwoods and to get the feeling of what's it's like up some of these big trees will be very special."
Mr Schmid runs a similar treewalk in Germany.
GREAT HEIGHTS: Redwoods Treewalk general manager Alex Schmid at the site of his new tourism venture. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
"I visited Rotorua as a tourist ... and thought why is there nothing up in these trees, because it's such a great place."
He said they were still researching how much they would charge people for the walk, but there would be a special rate for locals and families.
Rotorua couple Kellie and Bruce Thomasen have invested in the business, saying it will add something very different to the city's tourism offering.
Mr Thomasen, who is also general manager of Skyline Rotorua, said he was excited by the venture.
"I remember seeing the article in your paper a few years ago and thought it was a good idea back then. We caught up with Alex last year and we're very pleased to be working with him.
"The Redwoods is a Rotorua icon and this is a great sustainable tourism venture and complements the forest asset brilliantly.
"Arguably it's the longest suspended treewalk in the world in terms of the slings and suspension systems we are using," Mr Thomasen said.
Plans are in the pipeline to later develop a guided treetop canopy walk more than 25m high, and if both walks were successful to build tree canopy sleeping pods where people can stay overnight.
The venture was granted a lease approved by iwi and the Rotorua Lakes Council, who were working in partnership to manage commercial recreational opportunities in the forest.
Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson said attracting new investment to Rotorua was a key priority as part of the district's shared long-term goals.
"We're already seeing existing businesses redevelop and expand and this venture is one of several brand new businesses being established in Rotorua, which is very encouraging," he said.
"This one will add to Rotorua's already diverse range of outdoor experiences, while at the same time making sustainable use of one of our greatest natural assets, Whakarewarewa forest."
