WHY is the Taupo to Turangi bike trail not included in Taupo District Plan?

Taupo Council have been requesting submissions to the District Plan. So we asked where in the District Plan is there any provision for the Taupo to Turangi bike trail? They advised “There is nothing in the District Plan for this.” (?) Yet this is after previous announcements from them on how important the bike trail is to the local economy – to quote their previous statement a year ago: “The Council support concurs with the Economic Strategy Report previously prepared which advised the bike trail was the most important project to secure the future prospects of Turangi.  Since then in late 2020 the Council Transport Strategy Committee confirmed the bike trail extensions as a priority project.“

Below is the report from 15 March in 2021…

‘Great Walk’ to Turangi features in Taupō economic strategy

Further to the announcement that $15.9 Million is available for recreational purposes in Turangi, TRM repeat the news article published 3 years ago by Robert Steven. 

This confirms Council support for bike trail extensions to the existing Tongariro River Trail.

The Council support concurs with the Economic Strategy Report previously prepared which advised the bike trail was the most important project to secure the future prospects of Turangi. 

Since then in late 2020 the Council Transport Strategy Committee confirmed the bike trail extensions as a priority project.

An economic development plan for Taupō features an $18million walk/cycle trail and a bigger airport terminal.

The “District Economic Strengthening Strategy” report has been approved by councilors and sent out for public scrutiny this week.

It includes six “catalyst projects”, which involve upgrading the airport, the civic precinct, creating a “tertiary hub”, promoting the district’s geothermal industry, marketing the Wairakei Tourist Park, and building a cycle trail from Turangi to Taupō.

Trucks can have difficulty traversing Bulli Point, part of SH1, which is part of the reasoning behind a plan to bypass Bulli Point and have SH1 head through the forest.
ROBERT STEVEN NZTrucks can have difficulty traversing Bulli Point, part of SH1, which is part of the reasoning behind a plan to bypass Bulli Point and have SH1 head through the forest.

Mayor David Trewavas is scheduled to meet with Minister of Regional Development Shane Jones on Friday to discuss the plan.  This follows a meeting in Wellington last month.

“We’ll talk about our application for a share of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund, which could provide some revenue to facilitate these developments,” he said.

“It’s an exciting time: we’re transforming from a provincial town to a reasonable-sized metropolitan, and we need the infrastructure to cater for this.”

Taupo District Council Mayor David Trewavas
ROBERT STEVENTaupo District Council Mayor David Trewavas

It is hoped the proposed Turangi-to-Taupō cycle trail could join the list of New Zealand’s Great Walks, Trewavas said.

“It would be like the Otago Rail Trail.

“For all those areas down south [of Taupō], this would be a huge game-changer

However, the cycle route could not go via the narrow, winding roads at Bulli Point, he said.

The trail would need to go inland, like the existing stretch of SH1 between Waitahanui and Hatepe.

“There is a long-term plan to divert [SH1] from Bulli Point, but it’s quite a fair way out,” Trewavas said.

“We’re advocating that the government bring that forward.”

Agreements with the owners of the land the trail would pass through, which is currently forestry, would also need to be reached, he said.

“It’s predominantly Maori-owned land.

“The potential economic benefits of the cycle trail would be huge, so we’re certainly trying to push our way through this with all stakeholders on board,” he said.

“It’ll be a walkway as well. It’d be great for accommodation providers and local businesses the whole way along the trail. It’s a huge opportunity for everyone.”

The total cost to build the track is estimated at $18.3 million

Taupo District Council proposes building a cycle/walking trail from Turangi to Taupo.


An argument was that they need land owners’ consent? Yet other precedents, such as other bike trails on the same SH1 north of the Taupo Airport roundabout, or alongside SH1 in Turangi north of the Red Hut car park, or the Waikato River Trail that extends from Mangakino (also within Taupo District Council domain) through Whakamaru to separate the main road from the Waikato River, all confirm that a bike trail can be formed without infringing on private land or needing to acquire land. More recent extremely successful trails on the “clip-on” track at Lake Dunstan (see report below) also refute the need for the trail to have to go inland to avoid the Bulli Point corners.

It will be interesting to read Council’s latest reasons for again failing to include this Taupo to Turangi trail in their District Plan, particularly after they had previously had confirmed the potential…

Central Otago’s Lake Dunstan Trail is smashing all expectations. 

More than 62,000 riders have used the track since it opened in May. 

During January alone, 12,068 people passed the trail counter – almost as many people targeted for the entire year of 2028. 

Central Otago Queenstown Trail Network Trust Chairman Stephen Jeffery told Mike Hosking it’s also helping out local businesses. 

“I’ve already estimated that the money going into our local economy would be between $10 and 12 million, huge impact on local economies.” 

The Dunstan Trail makes a nonsense of Toe-paw Council claims that they cannot build a trail around Bulli Point. As for the $$$ projections? Their Council and DOC and MBIE all optimistically anticipated about 9,000 bikers in their first year. After their first nine months during winter without any overseas tourist riders they had exceeded 60,000.