A karakia and sod-turning ceremony officially launched construction of the Kopu to Kaiaua extension of the Hauraki Rail Trail this week.

The 47km-long K2K extension run mostly along the top of stopbanks on the southern shore of the Firth of Thames is a joint project between the Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki district councils.

Thames-Coromandel mayor Glenn Leach, Hauraki mayor John Tregidga and Hauraki Rail Trail Charitable Trust Chair Wati Ngamane at the karakia and sod-turning ceremony on Thursday. Photo: TCDC

Hauraki Rail Trail Charitable Trust chair Wati Ngamane delivered the karakia, wishing the workers building the trail a safe and positive outcome during the ceremony on Thursday.

Mayor Glenn Leach and Hauraki District Mayor John Tregidga then broke sod and congratulated the project team on getting the extension underway.

'To finish this and see it done by October or November will be very well done. We look forward to an opening-day celebration pre-2017,” says Glenn.

HDC Mayor Tregidga says completion of the K2K extension will see the realisation of the original goal of making the Hauraki Rail Trail a three-day ride.

'This is the start of the end of the original commitment we made to central government. It was always to be a three-day ride," says John. "I owe TCDC a huge thanks for staying on board and committing 50-50 to the project.”

A funding agreement between the two councils has recently been completed and will noth contributing $1 million to the extension.

The contributions will cover the cost of construction from Kopu to Pūkorokoro-Miranda Bridge, which is a few hundred metres south of the Robert Findlay Wildlife Reserve.

External funding is still being sought to continue the trail further north to Kaiaua and the Thames-Coromandel council hopes to be able to construct this section during spring of this year.

Work on the K2K extension is expected to be completed by around October or November in time for next summer, depending on the weather.

Carters Contractors and JA Lynch Contractors have been awarded the contracts to build the cycleway with the tender for the five bridges and one boardwalk still to be awarded.

The extension will bring the rail trail that much closer to the big market of Auckland cyclists, allowing them to complete multi-day rides using Thames as a base.

For more information visit the Thames-Coromandel District Council's Hauraki Rail Trail webpage.