Cyclists and avid walkers will get the chance to try the newly-completed Whakatane and Ohope walkway and cycleway wen it officially opens today.

A fun family day out will be held to celebrate the official opening of the track.

The ‘Up and Over' event will have something for the whole family, including a sausage sizzle, refreshments, bouncy castles and spot prizes.

The event will start at Rex Morpeth Park at 9 am and will finish at Ohope's Mahy Reserve, where buses will be available to shuttle people back over the hill from 11 am to 12 noon.

Mayor Tony Bonne will get things underway with a ribbon cutting ceremony near the Bird Walk entrance before participants run, walk or cycle the new pathway.

The 5km-long roadside path is now wider on the busy Gorge Road section and provides a safer and more comfortable surface for walking, running and cycling between Whakatane and Ohope. It is hoped the track will promote a more active, fitter and healthier community, allowing people to choose to commute between two of the district's key residential areas by foot or pedal power.

The Whakatane District Council project, which began in 2013, was carried out with funding support from Grassroots Trust, the Whakatane and Ohope Beach Community Boards, Nova Energy and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Find more event information on whakatane.com »