If recreation amenities are a tangible reflection of the quality of life in a community, then Queenstown has it sweet! This new mountain bike trail network is fast gaining much-deserved international recognition.

By Brian McCormack

A new network of mountain bike trails in Queenstown, New Zealand, has prompted a saying in the renowned ski resort town: dirt is the new snow. 

The latest in these developments is the 110km Queenstown Trail – an easy to intermediate trail connecting Queenstown with the gold-mining outpost of Arrowtown and the vineyards of Gibbston Valley.



Born out of a government think tank to battle recession, the New Zealand Cycle Trail (Nga haerenga) was launched by Prime Minister John Key as a $50-million initiative to create employment and stimulate local economies. The project now comprises 19 individual trails across the country. The Queenstown Trail was built and is now maintained via a unique partnership of the Queenstown Trails Trust and the Queenstown Lakes District Council.

In nine months, more than 107,000 trail journeys have been made, with the Queenstown Trail gaining strong repute among residents and visitors alike.

When Key launched a contestable fund to develop the New Zealand Cycle Trail, the council and the Trust seized the opportunity to make a bid to construct a ‘hub and spoke’ trail, unlike conventional lineal trails, building on Queenstown’s existing tourism infrastructure and international brand. 

The Trust’s CEO Kaye Parker collaborated with council on the project. His marketing and fundraising experience was effectively deployed, while council staff contributed their knowledge of trail design, project management and recreation planning. 

Landowners and trail users were engaged early on through public meetings and workshops, which helped flush out potential problems and provide innovative solutions. The trail also required extensive negotiation with landowners – 29 individual property negotiations and easements in total. In all but two instances, easements were given in favour of the council at no cost. 

Bridge expertise

The project required simultaneous management of multiple contracting teams. A bridge construction package was tendered for the major bridges to attract specialist expertise, while trail construction was divided into two major groups. 

This enabled bridge construction to proceed in parallel with trail construction, so multiple sections of the trail could be constructed at once. Having two different contractors also facilitated faster progress, and the benchmarking of costs and methodologies. 

The mountainous landscape surrounding Queenstown proved challenging for the trail design and construction team, particularly because of the requirement to work within the strict 10 per cent maximum incline requirement for a grade-two cycle trail. 

The trail follows three major rivers and involved constructing two 20m-span timber ‘glulam’ [glued laminated timber] bridges, and two suspension bridges with spans of 65m and 80m. 

The bridges were designed by the Frame Group of Auckland, which specialises in the design of lightweight timber suspension bridges. The trail also uses two historic suspension bridges, including the famous Kawarau Suspension Bridge – home of the world’s first commercial bungy jump.

Tracking data

Visitor monitoring is an essential tool to gauge track usage for performance reporting and maintenance. Given the complex nature of the trail, 10 electronic trail-use counters have been deployed to monitor use. 

Data gathered from the on-site customer survey is used to identify typical ride patterns, enabling the development of a model to estimate the number of unique journeys made on the trail. 

A way-finding plan was also implemented consistently across the trail. Structures for entrance-ways and road crossing points were designed in keeping with Queenstown’s landscape and delivered on safety, way finding, maintenance access, and maintaining a barrier-free trail. Way finding is also supported by the use of a smartphone app called MyParx. Uploading the GPS plot and complying geo-tagged information to the app enables trail riders to follow their progress and pick up geo-located information on history and activities along the trail. 

Of the total project cost of $5.4 million, the New Zealand Government provided $1.4 million with the Queenstown Trails Trust being responsible for raising the balance. Council’s capital contribution to the trail construction was $450,000, but it has committed to the ongoing maintenance of the trail to ensure standards are maintained and assets looked after.

The Trust is continuing to raise funds for the maintenance and enhancement of the trail. In particular, the Trust has purchased the internationally renowned Motatapu event from Iconic Adventures, ensuring a secure income stream to help fund the ongoing development of trails in the wider Queenstown area. 

 

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