49-633: The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail is a cycle trail in the South Island of New Zealand. This trail is one of the projects of the New Zealand Cycle Trail project. The trail extends more than 300 kilometres (190 mi) from Aoraki / Mount Cook to Oamaru on the Pacific Ocean . From west to east, it descends from an altitude of 780 metres (2,560 ft) down to sea level. The trail has both on and off-road sections. Funding for
98-550: A 100 km long cycle trail along the Waikato River . In the second stage of the project, it was announced in February 2010 that out of 54 applications (beyond the quick-start trails), 13 had been selected to receive funding (pending further feasibility studies). If all these trails and the quick-start trails were realised, they would provide over 2,000 km of trail. In September 2010, funding for another five tracks
147-567: A New Zealand-wide network in the long term. John Key noted that to retain momentum on the process, the first sections to be funded would be publicised by June 2009. This was slightly pushed out until July 2009, when the first seven projects were announced, to receive $ 9 million in funding. In November 2009, construction started on the Waikato River Trails , the first of the quick-start projects, which received $ 3 million in funding to construct 41 km of track and thereby finish
196-407: A city council were now being administered by a district council. As a result, the term "city" began to take on two meanings. City also came to be used in a less formal sense to describe major urban areas independent of local body boundaries. This informal usage is jealously guarded. Gisborne, for example, adamantly described itself as the first city in the world to see the new millennium. Gisborne
245-525: A full track formed in concrete at least $ 300m rather than the $ 50m initially suggested. Setting out further specifics, in May 2009 it was confirmed that instead of a single route throughout New Zealand, the project would, at least initially, concentrate on a number of promising individual links. Substantial parts of these routes could use existing railway corridor reserves or possibly paper roads , or existing cycle infrastructure, where present. They would also have
294-549: A gravel road over hilly terrain, this 43 kilometres (27 mi) section takes in the southern shore of Lake Pukaki and the hydro-electric system of the area around Twizel once on sealed roads. Towards Twizel, the cycle trail leads across the Pukaki Flats, an area of tussock grasslands that are typical for the Mackenzie basin. Twizel is the largest town along the cycle path until the conclusion at Oamaru . The third section
343-606: A network. The project has also created enthusiasm among some business groups, with, for example, a meeting of 130 Waikato business and government representatives endorsing it for the tourism, health and economic benefits it could bring to Hamilton and the Waikato. Also supportive was the New Zealand Contractors' Federation , which considered that it would be very beneficial for many small and medium enterprises during hard economic times. The cycleway project
392-529: A number of islands where the Minister of Local Government is the territorial authority, two of which have a 'permanent population and/or permanent buildings and structures.' The main islands are listed below (population according to 2001 census in parentheses): In addition, seven of the nine groups of the New Zealand outlying islands are outside of any territorial authority: Territorial authorities have
441-625: A region and a territorial authority. It incorporated the recommendations of the Royal Commission and was established via legislation. Auckland Council is uniquely divided into "local boards" representing the lowest tier of local government. Under the terms of the Local Government Act 2002 , district councils have to represent the interests of their future communities and consider the views of people affected by their decisions. To fulfill that requirement and give young people
490-588: A say in the decision-making process, many councils have a youth council. In late December 2023, the Ashburton District Council scrapped their youth council, stating they could engage better with younger people online and describing the current youth council as "a youth club where they ate pizza." In early January 2024, the Gore District Council opted to restructure its youth council and ruled out dismantling it. In April 2024,
539-462: A week. Its plan, which went to a Select Committee, accepted the proposal for supercity and many community boards, but rejected proposals for local councils and, initially, no separate seats for Māori . Public reaction to the Royal Commission report was mixed, especially in regards to the Government's amended proposal. Auckland Mayor John Banks supported the amended merger plans. Criticism of
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#1732791287240588-599: Is a 6 km detour off the main route to Otematata. Continuing into the Waitaki Valley is the sixth section. It is 44 kilometres (27 mi) long and follows sealed public roads and takes in Benmore Dam , the largest dam within the Waitaki hydro-electric power scheme, as well as Aviemore Dam and Waitaki Dam . An off-road 16-kilometre bicycling section was opened on 17 December 2020, from Sailors Cutting to
637-525: Is 38 kilometres (24 mi) long and is the only one with a slight gain in elevation. It partly follows canals that are part of the hydro-electric system connecting the glacial lakes. A cycle trail goes around the southern shore of Lake Ōhau, finishing on a sealed road to Lake Ohau Alpine Village and the Lake Ōhau Lodge. The next section leads through an old beech forest and includes the biggest elevation changes. It climbs about 400 metres (1,300 ft) along
686-492: Is a New Zealand government initiative, co-funded together with local councils and charitable trusts, which is to build and operate a network of cycle routes through the country. As of mid-2011, the first of 18 proposed 'Great Rides' (dedicated cycleways, mostly off-road and in particularly scenic locations) were being finished, while construction was ongoing on most of the others. The first set of 'Touring Routes' (mostly on-road, to connect Great Rides), had also been announced. At
735-421: Is administered by a district council, but its status as a city is not generally disputed. Under current law, an urban area has to be at least 50,000 residents before it can be officially proclaimed as a city. Since the 1989 reorganisations, there have been few major reorganisations or status changes in local government. Incomplete list: Reports on completed reorganisation proposals since 1999 are available on
784-548: Is also seen as a potential lifeline for small town such as Kumara on the West Coast. The small town, a former gold mining centre, now has only a few hundred inhabitants left, and is facing the closure of its only remaining store. Westland's Mayor Maureen Pugh noted that the Westland Wilderness Trail, which was selected as one of the 13 Phase II trails, could be a "saving grace" by bringing tourism into
833-784: The Whanganui District Council proposed scrapping its youth council by June 2024 as part of budget saving measures. There are currently 67 territorial authorities. Before the Auckland Council "super merge" in November 2010, there were 73 territorial authorities. Before the Banks Peninsula District Council merged with the Christchurch City Council in 2006, there were 74 territorial authorities. There are
882-914: The local government reforms of 1989 , a borough with more than 20,000 people could be proclaimed a city . The boundaries of councils tended to follow the edge of the built-up area, so little distinction was made between the urban area and the local government area. New Zealand's local government structural arrangements were significantly reformed by the Local Government Commission in 1989 when approximately 700 councils and special purpose bodies were amalgamated to create 87 new local authorities. Regional councils were reduced in number from 20 to 13, territorial authorities (city/district councils) from 200 to 75, and special purpose bodies from over 400 to 7. The new district and city councils were generally much larger and most covered substantial areas of both urban and rural land. Many places that once had
931-578: The 21 km (13 mi) Roxburgh Gorge Trail to the 315 km (196 mi) Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail. Originally called the New Zealand Cycleway , and later the National Cycleway Project , it was initially conceived as a cycling route to run through the length of New Zealand, "from Kaitaia to Bluff ". It was proposed by then Prime Minister John Key as the 21st "surprise" item of the national job summit held by
980-842: The Local Government Commission's site (link below). On 26 March 2009, the Royal Commission on Auckland Governance recommended the Rodney, North Shore, Waitakere, Auckland City, Manukau, Papakura and Franklin territorial councils and the Auckland Regional Council be abolished and the entire Auckland region to be amalgamated into one "supercity". The area would consist of one city council (with statutory provision for three Māori councillors), four urban local councils, and two rural local councils: The National-led Government responded within about
1029-659: The New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides In May 2016, another $ 25m of new-route funding was announced. In December 2023, the New Zealand Cycle Trail network expanded with the commencement of construction on a new section linking Queenstown to Cromwell, funded through a collaboration among the New Zealand Government, Central Lakes Trust, and Otago Community Trust, reflecting the ongoing investment in
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#17327912872401078-588: The New Zealand Government in early 2009. John Key, who was also Minister of Tourism , noted that as of the middle of March 2009, officials were working "actively and aggressively" on a plan to implement the cycleway, though the original idea of a direct route was abandoned in favour of linking a network of existing paths and new sections, which Key termed 'Great Rides' in allusion to the New Zealand Great Walks system of famous tramping or hiking tracks. The individual routes are to be connected into
1127-408: The ability to run through conservation land where appropriate, and take into account existing tourist destinations, thus providing particularly interesting routes. Prime Minister John Key, in mid-2010, noted that he expected 2,000 km of cycleway to be completed by the end of 2011. The intention of the trail, apart from creating jobs in an economic downturn (both in construction and later in
1176-446: The administration of many environmental and public transport matters, while the territorial authorities administer local roading and reserves, water supply and sanitation , building consents , the land use and subdivision aspects of resource management, and other local matters. Some activities are delegated to council-controlled organisations . The scope of powers is specified by the Local Government Act 2002 . For many decades until
1225-511: The amended proposal came largely from residents in Manukau, Waitakere and North Shore Cities. In addition, Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples spoke against the exclusion of the Māori seats, as recommended by the Royal Commission. Opposition Leader Phil Goff called for a referendum on the issue. Auckland Council was created on 1 November 2010—a unitary authority that is classed as both
1274-583: The area. Similar hopes have been expressed by locals in towns like Kaikohe in Northland. Occasionally, locals, especially farmers, have however expressed concerns that vandalism would occur when tourists on bikes travelled through previously inaccessible areas, though experiences from the Otago Rail Trail indicates that such fears are overstated. Territorial authorities of New Zealand Territorial authorities ( Māori: mana ā-rohe ) are
1323-411: The average tourists, and during their time in the country spend about 1.6 times as much as the average tourist. Tourism New Zealand also noted that so far, there was effectively no promotion of New Zealand cycling to overseas tourists, even though it was a significant tourism industry in places like Europe. Estimates for the quick-start projects estimate that each might occupy approximately 40 people in
1372-595: The budget. Of the total sum, $ 2.5m have been set aside for management and advisory functions in the Ministry of Tourism, while $ 47.5m will be used to create the National Cycleway Project Fund, from which successful applicants will draw money for construction of routes. By September 2010, $ 45.6m had been allocated to track construction, and had attracted a further $ 30m in co-funding from local Councils and other organisations. In July 2010, it
1421-437: The central north island, were: While many cycling groups and tourism interests such as Tourism New Zealand greeted the project with enthusiasm, there has also been scepticism, mainly related to the potential costs of the project, and the scope for economical benefits. Editorialist Brian Rudman has also claimed that the cycleway idea smacked of Depression Era make-work schemes for the working classes. Others have countered
1470-529: The criticism noting that the money spent on the cycleway would go back into the New Zealand economy in any case, and leave the country with a lasting infrastructural benefit. Editorialists have remarked that the Prime Minister remained clearly behind the project he helped launch, despite criticism about changes in the estimated costs, and the shift from the initial concept of a single track towards
1519-1088: The cycle trail follows an old railway line and enters Oamaru via the Oamaru Gardens. It finishes after 55 kilometres (34 mi) at Friendly Bay, adjacent to Oamaru's Victorian Historic Precinct. Sites on the trail include: • Aoraki/Mt Cook • Snow-capped Mountains • Golden Tussock Landscapes • Glacier Lake Tours • High Country Stations • Hydro Canals • Native Forests • Elephant Rocks • Limestone and Clay Cliffs • Maori Rock Art • Vanished World Fossil Sites • Boutique Shops • Museums • Lakes: Ōhau , Pukaki , Benmore , Aviemore • Historic Limestone Tunnels • Hydro Dams: Benmore, Aviemore, Waitaki • Vineyards • Oamaru's Victorian Precinct • Galleries & Gifts • Steampunk HQ , Oamaru • Blue Penguin Colony • Pacific Ocean 43°43′09″S 170°05′37″E / 43.7192°S 170.0937°E / -43.7192; 170.0937 New Zealand Cycle Trail The New Zealand Cycle Trail project ( Māori : Nga Haerenga , "The Journeys")
The Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail - Misplaced Pages Continue
1568-417: The end of 2013, with the initial $ 50 million (plus local co-funding) essentially all spent or allocated, about 19 routes were expected to be in operation. By 2016, when added funding was announced, the total route length was about 2,500 km (1,600 mi). The addition of Whakarewarewa Forest Loop in 2022 brought the total number of 'Great Rides' to 23, covering 2,755 km (1,712 mi), ranging from
1617-483: The functions of a regional council and thus are unitary authorities . The Chatham Islands Council is a sui generis territorial authority that is similar to a unitary authority. Territorial authority districts are not subdivisions of regions, and some of them fall within more than one region. Regional council areas are based on water catchment areas, whereas territorial authorities are based on community of interest and road access. Regional councils are responsible for
1666-509: The initial construction period. Prime Minister John Key noted that he expected about 500 jobs to be provided in construction of the cycleways in total, with up to 4,000 eventually created through tourism benefits the trails would bring. In mid-2011, the newsletter of the New Zealand Cycle Trail reported 511 people employed on trail construction. Job experiences from the Far North District were also positive – among other effects, it
1715-423: The initial vision of a single track throughout the country would probably not be realised, at least not in the same form. Rather, it was now envisaged that a whole network of tracks would be created, combined from existing part sections, or upgraded from other forms of tracks and roads. The tracks would likely be to different standards in different areas, as some estimates have set the cost for the original proposal of
1764-487: The number of permanent NZCT staff would be reduced from 7 to 3. In mid 2016, another $ 25 million of funding (plus associated local Council co-funding) was announced by government, with approximately $ 13m of the funding planned to pay for connecting four Great Rides cycle trails in Central Otago into a connected 536 km track network. The remainder of the funds would be open for local applications. The cycleway
1813-630: The projects that had applied for funding from the new fund after the scope was changed are routes in urban Auckland , as well as on Waiheke Island and Great Barrier Island . However, none of these were successful, though Nikki Kaye , National MP for Auckland, and other sponsors of the proposals, such as Cycle Action Auckland were optimistic that deserving projects like the Waiheke Cycle Trail would still be realised by other means. In February 2014, Prime Minister John Key announced $ 8 million worth of maintenance funding over four years for
1862-540: The proposal as encouraging cycling in New Zealand, while walking advocates also see benefits to be gained from such a route. Tourism New Zealand noted that the project could also provide a much-needed boost to the viability and funding of many cities' languishing cycling strategies and plans. Ministry of Tourism figures show that so far (as of 2009), only about 2% of all tourists to New Zealand undertake cycling as part of their activities. The data did however also indicate that cycling tourists stay more than twice as long as
1911-505: The second tier of local government in New Zealand , below regional councils . There are 67 territorial authorities: 13 city councils , 53 district councils and the Chatham Islands Council . District councils serve a combination of rural and urban communities, while city councils administer the larger urban areas . Five territorial authorities ( Auckland , Nelson , Gisborne , Tasman and Marlborough ) also perform
1960-687: The top of the Benmore Dam in the Waitaki Lakes region. $ 1.2 million was spent creating the section. From Kurow, the cycle trail continues 23 kilometres (14 mi) off-road to Duntroon. The area contains limestone formations, Maori rock drawings and dinosaur fossils. The last section partly follows the Vanished World trail and past the Elephant Rocks on a mix of sealed public back roads and dedicated cycle trails. From Weston,
2009-558: The tourism industry associated with it), is to provide local and international cycle tourists with a route to travel on. Cycle Action Auckland noted in an editorial that the Otago Central Rail Trail had brought substantial benefits to an otherwise struggling rural region, and had been assessed as supporting up to 1,000 full and part-time jobs in the region, and that the tourism benefits of a national cycleway would likely be similar. Cycling Advocates' Network supports
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2058-590: The trail from the New Zealand Community Trust budget was approved in July 2010, after the trail had been shortlisted as one of 13 from 54 nationwide proposals. The trail is composed of eight sections: The first section, which is 32 kilometres (20 mi) long, starts out on a dedicated cycle trail, and continues on a gravel road. The first section is the most remote section of the trail and includes stream crossings without bridges. Continuing on
2107-493: The trail system. In mid-2011, the New Zealand Cycle Trail announced a second type of route, the "touring route". Composed mainly of existing on-road routes (rather than new dedicated cycleways), these routes are to start linking the various Great Rides and New Zealand in general with officially designated cycling routes, chosen for scenic appeal and suitability for cycling (low motor vehicle traffic volumes etc...). The first three such routes announced, all centred on Taumarunui in
2156-497: The Ōhau Range to the highest point of the trail at over 900 metres (3,000 ft) above sea level, before descending to about 100 metres (330 ft) lower after a total length of 40 kilometres (25 mi). The first half of this 24 kilometres (15 mi) section over the Omarama Saddle is on a dedicated cycle trail next to SH83 , from Sailors Cutting the trail follows the edge of Lake Benmore to Benmore Dam. From here it
2205-505: Was announced that Sarah Ulmer would be the official 'ambassador' for the New Zealand Cycle Trail. In May 2011, a customer-focused website was launched for the trails. In January 2012, the most famous existing cycle route of the country, the Otago Central Rail Trail , became a part of the Cycle Trail umbrella organisation. In February 2013, it was announced that with most project and funding-allocation work completed after 4 years,
2254-488: Was announced that 8 of the 13 cycle trails had received the go-ahead, four needed further study, and one (Tauranga Moana) had been rejected, due to land-use/access issues making the proposal unfeasible in the short term. $ 18.8 million have been set aside for the approved tracks, with the local authorities adding another $ 16 million to the project costs. Five more tracks from the list were approved in September 2010. Among
2303-536: Was confirmed, bringing the total up to 18. On 2 July 2010, Prime Minister John Key opened the first segment completed with cycle trail funding, being the 'Old Coach Road' segment of the Ruapehu to Whanganui Nga Ara Tuhono trail. By November 2010, eight trails were under construction, and the first full "Great Ride", the St James Trail located near Hanmer Springs , opened in November 2010. In mid-2011, it
2352-503: Was originally proposed to be a continuous route with a concrete surface, and it was proposed that the Department of Conservation was to supervise the construction process. Cycling advocates noted that having the feasibility study undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism, rather than the Ministry of Transport, boded well for the future of the project. In the middle of March 2009, comments started to emerge from government indicating that
2401-524: Was reported that of 110 formerly unemployed young people who worked on the project for half a year as part of a government subsidy scheme, 80 had gone on to other work, rather than returning to the dole. In May 2009, the government announced that $ 50 million had been allocated for the cycleway in the budget for the coming three years, provided by the Ministry of Tourism. It was hoped that local authorities and other entities would also provide further sums, with co-funded projects receiving priority for money from
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