Call to celebrate King’s Day
The local Dutch community is celebrating Dutch King’s Day with a range of cycling events.
King’s Day is when the Dutch celebrate the birthday of their king, King Willem Alexander.
Celebrations in the Hutt Valley ( on Saturday, April 30) include a family-friendly Orange Bike cycle promo event at Avalon Park, accompanied by Dutch food and drink for sale at nearby Avalon House.
Orange Bike – Hutt Valley (10-12 noon) aims to promote safe cycling as a sustainable and sociable activity, contributing to healthy bodies, healthy minds, and healthy cities. Pedal Ready will set up their confidence course to teach bike skills to children and there will be free bike checks provided by ReBicycle/EkeRua Cycles.
Riders are encouraged to ride to the event, dressed in orange.
Various prizes and giveaways are up for grabs, including awards for best dressed person and bike, and longest ride in.
An ‘Orange Mystery Tour’ will lead participants to a prize giving at the Dutch Clubrooms at Avalon House.
The event is part of the first nationwide ‘‘Orange Bike Ride’’ promoted by the Netherlands Embassy in conjunction with Dutch clubs and communities around the country.
Organiser for Orange Bike – Hutt Valley, Martin de Jong says it promotes cycling as a fun and healthy way to get around (regardless of whether you are Dutch or not!).
‘‘The Hutt is great for cycling with lots of paths around the valley, as well as off-road tracks in the surrounding hills.
Locals can cycle to the event via the shared paths along the Hutt River or take advantage of the new path that runs beside the railway line between Waterloo Station and Taita.
Avalon Park is an ideal location for the event with its children’s bike course with ‘learner style’ road markings and signs – including a railway crossing.’’
Register for Orange Bike – Hutt Valley at tinyurl.com/orangebikehuttvalley to be eligible for prizes and giveaways.
For more detail and updates on King’s Day and Dutch Week in the Hutt Valley, follow: go to www.facebook.com/dutchclubwellington.