Recently, TDC (Taupo District Council), bless them, again invited submissions for their LTP – 10 year Long Term Plan. This proposal has been regularly submitted to TDC for the last decade.
TRM’s submission is for the long-awaited tourist bike trail link with Taupo North and Tree Trunk Gorge South. This is right up there with the Government’s preferred tourist policy and ticks all the boxes to qualify as a no-brainer in terms of potential economic success.
So how could we fail?
TRM’s brief submission was for the T2T (Taupo to Turangi) bike trail following SH1 along the eastern side of Lake Taupo and beyond to extend the existing Tongariro River Trail to link other DOC (Department of Conservation) trails south.
The question is how? There are so many other proposals also waiting to be heard.
So how do we really impress and convince them? This needs a devious plan. When it comes to devious plans SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed manages the motel and anything else She sees) is in a master class all on Her own. So this is where She suggests you come in! TRM represent you all. Use people’s power via the internet… Brilliant!
SWMBO suggests the best motivation for any Council is good public exposure and the fear of ridicule. If it is good, they love it. If it is bad, ….! That is why TRM’s visionary proposal will attract their full attention. They will discover to their joy that there are thousands of tourists out there in cyberspace watching and waiting anxiously in anticipation for a positive TDC decision to make this T2T a reality.
None of the other submissions or proposals have anything like your backing or power of persuasion.
How can it possibly fail, when you will be delighted to learn that in TDC’s own consultants report in 2017 – “Turangi Economic Development Strategy” – this trail was considered the top priority – described as “transformational” for the economic future survival of Turangi.
With your support it must succeed… Your submission – the same as for the last decade – follows: Thank you all.
Watch this space…
TDC’s Long-Term Plan:
Taupo District Council needs to allocate top priority to the biking/walking track from Turangi to Motuoapa, as the first stage of the longer Turangi to Taupo Trail.
All the research and feasibility reports have already been completed to confirm the likely success.
A feasibility study of the Turangi to Taupo bike trail was completed in 2015 with supporting statistics from TRC (Tourism Resource Consultants).
In 2016 they estimated within 5 years over 20,000 tourists would use the trail between Turangi and Motuoapa to generate between $2.87 & $4.71 million annual income. Since then, driven by the enormous popularity of e-bikes with more mature tourists, those estimates could be doubled!
The continued growth of biking/walking trails has been remarkable. Biking is the new golf, etc. TRC confirmed one in every four visitors, who participate in a walking or biking activity, stay longer and spend more. Based on the success of other trails – Timber Trail, Hauraki Trail, etc. we believe these $$$ forecasts are now conservative.
i.e. On both these trails new tourist accommodation was developed due to high demand from visitor numbers. Comparatively, several motels in Turangi and on SH1 along this eastern edge of Lake Taupo have closed in the last five years…
TDC’s independent report confirmed the Turangi to Taupo trail possesses all of the attributes that make successful trails.
In TDC’s own study in 2017 – “Turangi Economic Development Strategy” – this trail was considered the top priority – and assessed as “transformational” for the economic future survival of Turangi.
Since then, in November 2017, TDC prepared a submission to DOC for this trail to be part of the next Great NZ Walks extending from Taupo through Turangi to Tree Trunk Gorge.
Much of the trail south of Turangi is linking existing DOC tracks. Only the Turangi to Taupo section involves new trails.
The initial first step needed will be to link Turangi via the Tongariro River Trail to Lake Taupo and on to Motuoapa. DGLT (Destination Great Lake Taupo) are supportive of this proposal and has already investigated the likely route. A loop trail back to Turangi could follow the existing angler access trail along the Waiotaka River.
From Taupo the lakefront “Lions Walk” already extends their popular biking/walking trail to Waitahanui.
If this first 11km section north of Turangi is completed it will add to the existing Tongariro River Trail to provide a full day biking/walking experience out of Turangi.
Nothing else is more important to encourage tourist growth to secure the economic future of Turangi. i.e. TDC’s own demographic projections indicate Turangi population could fall 25% in the next 25 years (from 3,340 in 2013 to 2,475 in 2043).
MBIE analysis confirmed such biking/walking trails provide an average return of $3.50 for every $1 invested.
For Turangi residents, it is more important to provide long-term employment as a tourist trail – in addition to initial short-term jobs during construction.
Irrefutable evidence from other trails (i.e. Hauraki Trail) confirms the growth of other localised business to support bike trails. It would be a win-win for everyone.
The completion of this trail will increase international awareness for Taupo region as a biking destination – already claiming to be the “bike hub” of the North Island.
Existing Bike Taupo trails around the north western side of Lake Taupo do not link with other trails such as “Waikato River Trail” and “Mountain to Sea” trails. As a result Taupo misses out on events such as the “Tour Aotearoa” bike-packing market from Cape Reinga to Bluff. This has been a huge success.
i.e. Every summer thousands of tourist bikers leave Cape Reinga on the Tour Aotearoa. None visit Taupo. Completion of this new “Great Walk” through to Ohakune could bring the “Tour Aotearoa” (NZ’s 3000 km bike-packing odyssey) bikers following the same route to Taupo.
This is not a new proposal. Turangi have been promoting this trail for the last fifteen years with support from Taupo MP Louise Upston and previous Mayor, Rick Cooper.
i.e. It was subject to a feature article in the January 2010 issue of Wilderness Magazine.
A video prepared in 2011 featured the MP and Mayor supporting the proposal.
The Turangi Chronicle dated April 29 2010 front page featured it.
Taupo Times, 12 February 2016 heading was “Taupo to Turangi bike trail reaches stage two” (?) etc.
It is time that the construction of this biking/walking trail to link Turangi’s Tongariro River Trail with Lake Taupo and Motuoapa to the north and Tree Trunk Gorge to the south commenced…
For the 2024 update – The photos below have been added to illustrate how to overcome one of the impossible (?) hurdles that TDC planners mentioned previously – with a “clip-on” path for bikers around Bulli Point. These photos are from Lake Dunstan where a new trail was formed between Cromwell and Clyde about two years ago – since the previous Taupo submission. That trail was delayed for years while the Trust tried to convince DOC and their council of the financial viability. It has since been an outstanding tourist success exceeding all their forecasts.
