Mahia residents will soon have a new way to explore the peninsula, thanks to the new 24-kilometre Te Aratia Walkway nearing completion.
It comes after a group of landowners, marae and agencies formed the Whangawehi Catchment Management Group in 2014.
Nic Caviale-Delzescaux, who co-ordinated the group nearly 10 years ago, said they’ve planted more than 250,000 native trees along the river and tributaries.
![Volunteers in 2014 getting stuck in: planting seedlings and doing restoration work on the Whangawehi river catchment in Māhia. Photo / Whangawehi Catchment Management Group Inc](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/WR7M3JAOU5HGLOGNT65U7A7FLU.png?auth=eb8d2fef28a4910bea85b8813f504e42b7c2d38cff86e9b73361a58c6c5b5cf6&width=16&height=9&quality=70&smart=true)
“First, we had to plant a lot of trees. Then four or five years ago the community and landowners said it’s pointless doing all this work if the wider community can’t enjoy it,” he said.