| 13 REGIONAL NEWS Clutha NZ Final section of Gold Trail nears completion The Clutha Gold Trail stretches 73 kilometres from the Roxburgh Hydro Damn, down to Millers Flat, to Beaumont and through to the picturesque township of Lawrence T T Richard Loader The final section of the Clutha Gold Trail is due to be completed in the first quarter of next year, extending the existing fabulous cycling and walking experience by 63 kilometres, and bringing with it many benefits and opportunities to the wider Clutha community. The current Clutha Gold Trail embraces 73 kilometres of highly scenic countryside from the Roxburgh Hydro Damn, down to Millers Flat, to Beaumont and through to the picturesque township of Lawrence, the seat of the 1881 Otago Gold Rush. The section currently under development takes walkers and cyclists from Lawrence through to Lake Waihola, New Zealand’s most inland tidal lake. Linda Moore, Chief Executive of Clutha Development, the agency responsible for economic development and regional tourism for the Clutha District, says the trail will add to the region’s visitor experience, opening up options to visit other parts of Clutha including the Catlins. “When you arrive in Lawrence there’s an opportunity to really discover the town where the Otago Gold Rush commenced. Gabriel’s Gully was where the first nuggets were discovered in 1861. We’re doing some work looking at what Gabriel’s Gully could be, and what experience we could recreate when it was abuzz with gold mining. There was a Chinese gold mining camp just out of Lawrence, which is now being restored. There is also some wetland development there now. Then of course there are the beautiful heritage buildings in Lawrence township itself.” Heading towards Waitahuna from Lawrence, the railway station is currently being restored and will become a museum, café and accommodation. “Cycling through the Manuka Gorge there’s a new tunnel called Round Tunnel and then you have things like Mount Stuart and the Manuka Gorge Tunnel. The whole trail is very scenic. When you go from the Manuka Gorge to Milton there are a couple of fancy new bridges that have been built. Milton itself was home to the Bruce Woollen Mill. Established in 1897, it burned down four years later and was completely rebuilt in 1923. Calder Stewart Industries are based just out of Milton and have developed a section of the trail themselves. The trail finishes off with some nice board walk around Lake Waihola. Surrounding Lake Waihola are the Sinclair Wetlands.” Apart from its outstanding scenic beauty and brimming with historic gems, the trail is Grade Two – defined as mostly flat with some gentle climbs on smooth track with easily avoidable obstacles such as a rocks and potholes. On top of that, the advent of E-bikes — easily the most prevalent mode of two-wheeled transport seen on these trails — brings the trails within realistic reach of a far wider range of people, and that is really what it’s all about; making the gems of the Clutha accessible. “We’re profiling the district as a great place to live and work, because there are a lot of jobs on offer as well,” says Linda. “If a visitor does the trail and likes the look of Clutha, they might become a resident and work here, and that’s a win-win. The trail is also good for the local community too. Plenty of local people go out and cycle or walk the trails. It’s really good when you have a community that leads a project, which is what has happened with this Gold Trail. There has been a passionate group of local residents and farmers who’ve spent the last few years making it happen. To have the community behind you is very important. With the opening of the trail planned for March we’ve run some workshops and were pleasantly surprised with the number of people turning up with ideas of what they could offer, including unique wee cottages and farm tours.” “Cycling through the Manuka Gorge there’s a new tunnel called Round Tunnel and then you have things like Mount Stuart and the Manuka Gorge Tunnel. "Aim for perfection, settle for excellence" Rural & Civil Drainage, Roading & Earthworks since 1965 CALL GREG - 0800 4 EARTHWORKS More than just contracting For the last three years the dedicated team at WKC Construction have been busy building an enduring legacy that they can all be rightly proud of well into New Zealand’s future. After spending nearly eighteen months developing 30 kilometres of the seriously breathtaking and magical Lake Dunstan cycle and walking trail, WKC Construction were engaged to complete 25 kilometres of the second leg of the Clutha Gold Trail, which runs from Lawrence through to Lake Waihola. The track, which is due to open this Christmas, has so far taken the WKC team 24 months of careful planning and work, to provide a high-quality nish for riders and walkers alike. “We’re very much specialists in building these cycle trails now,” says Managing Director Greg Keen. “We love the work and we will just keep following the cycle trails — there are still plenty to develop. I love the technical challenge and variety and we’re building a legacy. Our team are part of that legacy and that’s what they enjoy about it too. There’s also a lot of liaison with the general public and land owners. It’s very rewarding work. Every time you see someone they stop and say you’re doing a fantastic job, and can’t wait to ride the trail.” Greg explains that track development typically involves a lot of earthworks; cutting the side out of hills, then cutting the trail into the hill and installing retaining walls at the base. “There’s also drainage work with culverts to build. A rock subbase goes down which is overlaid with a crushed AP20 topcoat that the cyclists ride on. There’s also a lot of quarry work involved. We’re breaking out and screening rock for suitable subbases and top coats. The work also involves replacing old fences with new fences. We build the smaller bridges and still have eight, ten and twenty metre bridges to do for the Clutha Gold trail. We build concrete paths, fords and retaining walls. Lake Dunstan had 760 metres of retaining wall to build.” Greg says a dedicated team, attention to detail, strong project management and a passion for the work have been the four cornerstones of success for Milton based WKC Construction. “You de nitely have to be passionate about the work and the guys are. They love what they’re doing and we’re leaving a legacy. A lot of passion and pride goes into it. These guys are high performers who love doing a good job. It is all about the nish — that nish will be there for the next 60 years.” Building a legacy
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