Walking the line

Hundreds walk replacement highway

On January 18 the morning dawned with an overcast sky and a light Tararua breeze coming in from the east. With the temperature cool at around 18C, Woodville School volunteers and Lions Club members on site at Hope Road were cautiously optimistic that conditions looked favourable for their new fundraiser.

Billed as ‘a one-off chance to get up close and personal’ with the route of NZ Transport Agency’s Manawatu¯ Gorge Road replacement, Te Aho a Turanga - The Manawatu¯ Tararua highway, the project would take 700 folk on a guided walk across either almost the entire length of the new highway, or the (mainly) downhill half, from Cooks Road to Woodville as the event traversed a swath of Meridan Energy’s Te Apiti Windfarm.

The event was a mutual effort between Woodville School and the Woodville Lions Club. Funds raised will go towards upgrading the playground at the school and to Lions community projects.

Both Woodville Lions and Woodville School raised $14,000 on the day which will be used to upgrade playground equipment at the school and for local community betterment projects.Walkers were presented with 7km and 13km options, with the majority opting for the longer route.

A major logistic exercise had Woodville Lions bring the wisdom and lessons from 24 years’ experience running the famous, but currently derailed Track and Tunnel Walk to facilitate what proved to be a truly momentous adventure trek.

On the day a well-prepared team of 67 school parents and Lions Club volunteers arranged parking on the Bolton farm airstrip, processed individual registrations and oversaw the loading of about 700 walkers on a fleet of shuttle buses to take them to either the short walk entry point at the end of Cooks Road, or to the riverside departure point at the foot of the Saddle Road at Ashhurst.

Approximately 150 walkers elected to do the 7km shorter walk while about 550 chose to do the whole route.

Walkers followed a mix of farm tracks and wind farm roading as they walked up and over the marked route that closely follows the line of the new highway.

Keeping them on track was the work of track marshals, with the track clearly identified with hi-vis orange road cones.

“I am really pleased with the results of our work,” Walk Coordinator Paul Cleghorn says.

“We had fantastic support from NZTA and Meridian Energy with pre-event organisation and volunteers on the day. It was a bit of a task, but we did get the route well marked with warratah standards and orange road cones to give walkers an idea of what is proposed.

“It was evident that all were surprised at the huge amount of earthmoving and

related work that will be a feature of the new road’s construction.”

Volunteers noted the weather was cool with the easterly up on the range and some light showers during the afternoon. This was probably a good thing as the journey was physically demanding, particularly the climb from Ashhurst and the steep descents through Boltons’ farm.

Walkers commented on how much they enjoyed the variety of the walk, and the great views to Mt Ruapehu and down the Ka¯ piti Coast.

Many were taken by the vistas looking out over the Tararua District and Woodville and, at one point, looking down in to the Manawatu¯ Gorge. All were fascinated to see the route that the new road will take and how much earth is going to be moved, while many indicated they would be very interested in walking the route again once work has started.

Meridian Energy volunteers fielded a range of questions throughout the day about general wind farm activities, the crane at the Ashhurst end, and the turbine blades stored at Morgans Road, and NZTA engagement team members were on site to take questions on the new infrastructure itself.

All said they were encouraged at the success of the event and the positive impressions it has created.

Another great project with a positive outcome for a village community that knows what it’s like to live in the slow lane.

Te Aho a Turanga, the new Manawatu¯ Tararua highway promises to be so much more than ‘just a new road. the walkers said. Some700 tired walkers now have some good stories to go with it.

Marshals waiting to receive the first busload of walkers at the Cooks Road entry point.

Susan Freeman, Jackie Davidson, Evelyn Seymour, Chantelle de Cleene and friends from Manawatu’s deaf community made a great team as they prepared for the full walk with an obligatory selfie.

Walkers heading off along the riverside track at the Ashhurst side of Saddle Road.

Walkers were individually registered and logged on to the walk. Managing the flow of people on to the tracks was both well organised and went smoothly, thanks in large part to Woodville Lion’s years of Track and Tunnel walk experience and processes.

Woodville Lion Neil Candy delivers the “in-flight briefing” and safety messages to a busload of walkers prior to their departure over the hill.

Pre-event briefings worked well, with great participation by all involved.

Woodville Lions had their Coast to Coast Suzuki bike raffle on display.

NZTA project engagement team members Lonnie and Michelle went the extra mile to ensure walkers got an experience they will remember.

Marshalls and volunteers get a Health and Safety briefing prior to the opening of the event.

Walkers leaving the bus at the Cooks Road departure point. From this point walkers enjoyed a leisurely 7km journey downhill to the airstrip base on Boltons farm near Woodville.