‘It could be so much better’
The Tekapo Trails Society has defended its proposal for a walking and cycling track around Lake McGregor and says it won’t give up. Alice Geary reports.
Members of the Tekapo Trails Society are passionate about helping people access the Mackenzie countryside and are standing by walking track proposals they have been working on for more than three years despite being asked to ‘‘pause’’ all plans.
‘‘The advantages of the tracks, especially the original Alexandrina circuit proposal, are that they provide recreation for locals and visitors, attract longer stays [in the area], would ease the pressure off Mt John, and would allow better access around the lake for predator control and native planting,’’ Tekapo Trails Society president TJ McConchie said.
‘‘It could be so much better out there.’’
McConchie said the society was not planning a large-scale operation like the Alps2Ocean track – a popular tourist cycle route that runs more than 300 kilometres from Mt Cook or Tekapo to Oamaru – but would be tidying up existing walking and 4WD trails to enable more people to access the beautiful public land 8km outside Tekapo.
She compared the idea to tracks around Queenstown’s Lake Hayes which she said had not disturbed local wildlife such as crested grebes.
‘‘Most bikers and walkers are conservation minded and about six members of TTS volunteered in predator control on Fox track.’’
The society formed in 2016 along with the idea to create a 16km-18km route around Lake Alexandrina, which is located near Tekapo on State Highway 8 towards Twizel.
There is already a track around the eastern edge of Lake Alexandrina which uses the bridge at the middle huts and is illustrated in a visitor map produced by Tekapo Promotions, although it would need tidying up and would need signage, McConchie said.
Those attempting to walk the existing route struggle to park their cars due to the upturned boats that line the road reserve along Lake Alexandrina; may have difficulty finding the start of the unmarked track; and are met with unwelcoming signs at the middle huts and campground area which give the impression of private property, she said.
Although the society had support for the proposed Lake Alexandrina track from the Department of Conservation (DOC), the group soon met opposition from the majority of hut holders at the lake, fishermen and the Lake Alexandrina Conservation Trust, and decided to hold a public meeting which did not go in its favour.
DOC then advised a smaller scale loop around Lake McGregor, about 3km-4km, and signed a oneyear working agreement, extendable by review, with the society in October 2018.
Rather than tidying up the existing track between the two lakes and extending it, it was decided a new marked route using 4WD tracks should be established.
The route would run behind the middle huts and not disturb hut holders.
The route would start from the camping area at Lake McGregor, climb up to the high point to overlook Lake Alexandrina and continue along the north side of Lake McGregor to Godley Peaks Rd but, because it would no longer use the bridge at the middle huts, a new pedestrian bridge would be necessary.
The working agreement notes that consents may be required from Genesis Energy and Mackenzie District Council (MDC), the former of which was readily provided in writing and the latter verbally agreed, McConchie said.
McConchie said the new trail proposal ‘‘ticked all the boxes’’.
‘‘It would be away from the huts, away from the fishermen’s track and use mostly existing 4WD tracks,’’ she said.
‘‘DOC provided a map and I am a designer so I designed signs that would be consistent with others in the area which DOC approved.’’
The society had an engineers’ report carried out and secured a building consent for the footbridge from MDC, before discovering it would fall on land administered by Land Information New Zealand and would not require a consent.
McConchie said the society had been advised against attending a working bee at the lakes organised by the Lake McGregor campsite chairman Alister Clarke but now wishes they had engaged in it.
‘‘In hindsight, TSS missed a golden opportunity to resolve any issues the camp committee had.’’
The plans were paused in October after further ‘‘furore’’ from various stakeholders who sent 90 submissions against the proposal to DOC.
DOC received only five email submissions in favour of the track but McConchie said the TTS collected 31 signatures during half an hour at Tekapo’s Spring Market, in addition to the support of the society’s 66 members.
‘‘This track does not require any soil disturbance at all, it can simply be a marked route,’’ McConchie said.
‘‘There is nothing to indicate to the public that they can walk or bike to a high point behind the huts and enjoy some of the best views in the high country.’’
In April 2019, a draft management report commissioned by MDC and authored by Rob Young, of Te Manahuna Consulting, was tabled at a council meeting.
The report describes the unclear and inconsistent signage at the lakes and the ‘‘intimidating’’ nature of the public access route near the outlet hut area.
‘‘The huts are sited on public land and it should be made very clear that the public have a right to walk across this land and access the lakeshore and the area to the north of the huts,’’ Young says in his report.
‘‘It is my view that the gate is unnecessary and should be removed.’’
However, the report also notes the need for any recreational tracks to be planned ‘‘to a very high standard and with regard for the principal purpose of the area’’ including environmental and social factors.
‘‘The next step in deciding about any of these proposals in the vicinity of Lake Alexandrina should be to develop a trails strategy for the Mackenzie region,’’ Young says.
‘‘This needs to be integrated into any future tourism strategy that is developed for the region.’’
The report has been shared with lake stakeholders and will be discussed by council in the coming months.
Once a plan for the area is in place, the society can submit a proposal which will be considered against the management framework and the guidelines of DOC’s wider Canterbury Conservation Management Strategy.