$3.2 million for Westland cycle trail

Photo / NZ Herald

More than $3 million is to be poured into developing a bike trail, aimed at tourists, between Greymouth and Ross on the South Island's West Coast.

The Westland Wilderness trail is a joint initiative of the Westland Wilderness Trust, Westland District Council, Grey District Council and the Government's New Zealand Cycle Trail (NZCT) project.

NZCT programme manager John Dunn said the Government was investing in the trail to help develop a sustainable tourism business that would generate lasting economic benefits for the local communities involved.

The trail would be one of 18 in New Zealand that would show off the country's landscape, culture and communities.

"The Westland Wilderness Trail has a rich history with sections of the trail route running along original tracks laid by Maori greenstone gatherers and New Zealand gold miners," Mr Dunn said.

"The trail also offers an outstanding landscape ride through dense rainforest, past glacial rivers and lakes, through wetlands, all the way from the snow capped mountains of the Southern Alps to the ocean."

Westland Wilderness Trust spokesperson Robin Reeves said the initial investment $3.2 million investment into the trail was expected to generate $8 million in direct economic benefit each year.

The 120km trail will start in Greymouth and travel for 12km along the coast before turning inland to follow an historic tramway to Kumara.

It will then cut through rainforest to Milltown in the Arahura Valley and then follow the Arahura River to Lake Kaniere and Hokitika.

The last 40km of the trail would take cyclists to the small town of Ross.

- NZPA