New sculpture garden gets Key's endorsement

Prime Minister John Key with Lava Glass owners Lynden Over and Christine Robb.

Taupo's newest and most colourful tourism attraction received a prime ministerial boost yesterday when John Key came to its opening.

The Lava Glass Sculpture Garden at Wairakei, near Taupo, was officially opened by the Prime Minister.

The garden is the brainchild of Lava Glass Gallery owners Lynden Over and Christine Robb, and the hundreds of glass artworks and sculptures for the garden have been produced on-site by Mr Over and fellow glass artist Chris Jones.

Mr Over and Ms Robb presented Mr Key with a volcano tear-drop glass artwork with a Huka Falls design on it and Mr Key toured the garden and visited the workshop to watch a glass artwork being created.

In the afternoon Mr Key was flown by helicopter to remote Waihora Bay in Lake Taupo's western bays, where he opened the newest stage of Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail. The 18km section of trail took a year to build and runs through native bush above Lake Taupo, finishing at the bay, where cyclists can catch a boat back to Kinloch.

Known as the Great Lake Trail, this is the 16th section of the New Zealand Cycle Trail to be completed.

Mr Key said it was "absolutely phenomenal", and fitted with the goal of opening up unique New Zealand landscapes to visitors.

Jonathan Kennett from New Zealand Cycle Trails has also praised the new track, saying it was one of the best rides he had done, and the best grade three trail in the country.