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A chance meeting with a customer at the Moonride provided some excitement for next summer… a new trail being built through the Pureora Forest west of Lake Taupo is part of the national Cycleway project and follows an old tramline for 70kms through the forest. The trail will include the Ongarue Spiral, a clever bit of engineering that allowed the tramline to traverse some steep country. The trail will also use tunnels and original cuttings used for the tramline. The customer who told us all this is an engineer on the present project, with the company building the bridges required. I didn’t really grasp the scope of this part of the operation until I saw these photos. This bridge spans an 85m deep canyon and will be a hoot to try to ride over. I am fervently hoping they add a bunch of wire mesh or something to make falling off the thing less likely. I am sure they will.
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Some extra details-This trail is now officially called the “Pureora Timber Trail”. The bridge shown is 90m long and crosses the Mangatukutuku River. There will be another 90m bridge across a tributary of the Ongarure River, with a 110m bridge nearby across another tributary of the Ongarure River. But the longest bridge will be across the Maramataha River Gorge, and this will be 120m long and 45m above the river level! Spectacular to say the least.
About 35km of the trail is on old Tramline formations, while approximatly 10km is on old logging roads. The best part is that another 35km is NEW TRAIL. The first 9km of this has been built and now can be ridden. I’m currently surveying the rest of the route. Yeeha! This trail is going to rock.
Comment by Hoz May 23, 2011 @ 3:36 amGEEEEZ GAZ – being one who is slighly shy of heights (don’t tell any of my MTBer mates) that turns my tummmmy! Will be a challenge – and no won’t attempt to ride at all, unless mesh is supplied!
Comment by Vicki Butterworth May 23, 2011 @ 4:28 amWas at the cycle trail (still under construction) yesterday. I followed the Waikoura stream through until it became the Mangatukutuku and found where the new cycle way crossed over. Although there was a suspension bridge it did not appear to be the same as the bridge shown as the above photo?
Comment by Russell ORR July 4, 2011 @ 12:13 amGood work for getting out there… I have yet to get around to a visit. There will be several bridges on the trail, see Hoz’s comments above.
Comment by nzogaz July 4, 2011 @ 12:23 amUpdate: looks like it could be the Maramataha stream bridge at 110 meters and the largest on the trail…
Comment by Russell ORR July 4, 2011 @ 12:25 amThanks .. I managed to get in viaa friendly farmer on the Ongarue back road and I admit I cheated and used a motorbike .. the track was very rough.. I followed the new cycle trail northish for about 5 kms and it is truely magnificant.
The only disappointment was the 1080 pellets everywhere. To make matters worse I came across a dead sow on the track with blue froth comming out her mouth and 6 hungry piglets snuggling up to her body .. I know nature is cruel and there are a lot of pests in the that area but that sight hurt a bit..
Comment by Russell ORR July 4, 2011 @ 12:33 amHowdy Russell,
If you went south down past the bluffs to the Mangatukutuku River gorge from the Waikoura, then the bridge you saw is the same one in the photo above. The pic shows it only partly completed, so it looks more substantial now it is finished. This is approx. 90m long. There will be two other bridges of the same design at least this length. These are north-east of Piropiro Flats across major tributary gorges of the upper Ongarure River catchment.
There will be a further high cable bridge south of Piropiro Flats, across the Maramataha River Gorge. This will be the highest (estimated at 45m above river level – time will tell) and longest – at least 110m but probaby longer. We have confirmed the southern tower site but are fine-tuning the northern end tomorrow. This bridge will be spectacular!
There are also cable bridges on the Waikoura and Waione Streams, both of which have been completed. I’ll upload some pics of those soon. I’m picking that you came down the old Number 9 tramway (following the Waikoura downstream) after getting access from the Mangakahu Valley. It may be that you only saw the Waikoura bridge crossing. Shortly after this bridge the stream plummets over a high waterfall before it joins the Mangatukutuku below the bridge in the pic.
Don’t get caught motorbiking up there, it’s not permitted to have public motorized access. The whole of the Pureora Forest Park has recently had 1080 applied by helicopter. When the trail is officially opens early next year, the types of things you saw will have disappeared. This is another reason why the trail is not yet publically open and widely promoted. Plus there is lots to do yet before it is finished!
But it will be awesome to ride once it is…..Cheers
Comment by Hoz July 4, 2011 @ 3:24 amSounds great – when will it be fully completed and open
Comment by Kevin July 28, 2011 @ 10:08 amHi Kevin. I think late this year or early next year but info on that can be found here: http://www.nzcycletrail.com/pureora-timber-trail
No actual date given but it does say it is 70% complete.
Comment by nzogaz July 28, 2011 @ 8:46 pm