Walkers and bikers can enjoy trails at Waitekohekohe Recreational Park a little bit more thanks to a newly-installed bridge.

Katikati Recreational Park Development Group (KKRPDG) founding member Jacqui Knight said the bridge enhanced access across Waitekohe Stream and opened up the Lund Rd side of the park.

“It means you can get across from Thompson’s Track to Lund Rd without getting your feet wet,” said Knight.

“It opens up a lot of walking tracks too, which we’re working on, through the native bush area. It is stunning.”

Knight said the new bridge would also give access to new mountain bike trails, to be constructed in 2026.

Knight said KKRPDG, which had created and managed the park since it was opened in March 2023, this year received $60,000 of TECT funding to build two new mountain bike tracks on the park’s Lund Rd side.

“The track builder isn’t available until next April, so we’ve just got to wait for that.”

The TECT funding would also build an accessibility trail on the Thompson Track side, said Knight.

“This will be for people with adaptive bikes. So if you’ve got a bike that’s a bit different or you’ve got a disability, this track will be great for you.”

Knight said often it’s not until people need adapted mobility tools to wander that they realise how inaccessible parts of the community can be.

“I think something like 10% of our community live with a disability so we should be making it a bit easier for them.”

Katikati Recreational Park Development Group’s Jill Jackson, Jacqui Knight, Lawrie Macdonald, Damon McLachlan and Western Bay Mayor James Denyer on the new bridge. Photo / Supplied

Lawrie Macdonald, Damon McLachlan, Jacqui Knight, Jill Jackson and Western Bay Mayor James Denyer on the new bridge. Photo / Supplied

Katikati Recreational Park Development Group’s Jacqui Knight, Lawrie Macdonald and Damon McLachlan, Jill Jackson and Western Bay Mayor James Denyer on the new bridge. Photo / Supplied

The Waitekohekohe Recreational Reserve in the upper hill slope catchments of the Kaimai-Mamaku Forest Park is Western Bay of Plenty District Council-owned and covered 87.982ha.

The council is KKRPDG’s major partner and contributed staff expertise and a budget of just under $1 million across five years for development of the park – to become a mountain-biking, horse-riding and bush-walking facility for the wider district.

Knight said KKRPDG is nearing the end of the five-year capital build plan with council, which is why they’re calling on external funders to help further build the facility’s resources.

“But, we’re actually not far off finishing what we got the space up there for. Then we’ll look to host multisport events to bring more people to our district.”

Both KKRPDG and Katikati Trails Group sit under Katch Katikati, which Knight managed, and had been working in tandem on track-work projects.

“The KTG is working to create walk and cycle trails that showcase the unique landscape of the Kaimai coastline and Kaimai Mamaku ranges,” said Knight.

The group’s ultimate goal was to connect a Northern Kaimai Loop of bike trails, she said.

“If we can link up all the side roads from Hauraki Rail Trail (HRT) through to Katikati over to Thompson Track and back over to the HRT then we’ve got a good two/three-day bike ride.

“That’s when we can really start to push a point of difference for the area and bring in more visitors.”

Knight said KTG recently created its own Facebook page to secure its own identity with the community.

The group had gained approval from residents up Willoughby Rd and Katikati’s Woodland Rd for the Northern Kaimai Loop to go through their properties, she said.

“We can potentially get from Woodland Rd at Waihi to Woodland near Katikati, because this is a paper road. Then we can get from Woodland Rd to Willoughby with willing landowners.

“We need to go through the rest of the route and start securing more property owners’ approval for access. But this work all just takes time.”

Find out more at: www.waitekohekohe.nz or search ‘Katikati Trails Group’ on Facebook.