Trail ready for first riders
What began as a vision three years ago is now coming to fruition, with the opening of the Aoraki/Mt Cook to Omarama sections of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail.
Tomorrow there will be a soft launch for the Aoraki/Mt Cook to Omarama sections.
The fully completed trail of more than 300km is expected to be finished a little further down the track this year.
The public are invited to take part in the event tomorrow, starting at Mount Cook Village at 9am for ribbon cutting and kick-off.
After speeches, the trail will officially be open to ride.
A gala dinner will be held at Lake Ohau Lodge tomorrow night, with entertainment afterwards.
Sunday starts outside Lake Ohau Lodge at 10am, with Waitaki District Mayor Alex Familton cutting the ribbon to open the trail from Lake Ohau to Omarama.
The finishing event begins at 3pm at the Countrytime Hotel in Omarama.
Certificates of completion will be handed out.
The next day, there will be a 10am start at Lake Ohau Lodge, finishing at the Countrytime Hotel in Omarama at 3pm.
There are four sections of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail, between Aoraki/Mt Cook and Omarama, Aoraki/Mt Cook to Braemar Station (37km), Braemar Station to Twizel (45km), Twizel to Lake Ohau (39km) and Lake Ohau to Omarama (42km).
Alps 2 Ocean marketing and sales officer Jason Menard said Sunday would be a great day for families.
"While many locals have seen the Mt Cook area, no one has been able to cycle on the custom-built trail from Lake Ohau to Omarama before.
"I know plenty of folks who are keen on riding this portion Sunday," he said.
"The rest of the trail is currently under construction.
"The work is progressing nicely, and there are potentially some exciting developments taking place in regards to the route the trail will take."
Mr Menard said it was a work in progress.
"We would never have got to this point if we waited until everything was in place," he said.
"You had to dig in and get started on a project like this, and work on getting the rest of it to line up as you proceed.
"There have been so many varied people involved in this project, and it is due only to their sheer bloody determination that we have arrived at this point."
Mr Menard said he believed the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail would become one of New Zealand's leading attractions, nationally and internationally.
"This is an absolute treasure for Kiwis, and it makes one feel proud to be a part of it," he said.
For more details, visit the official Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail website: www.alps2ocean.com
