New shelter for Pakihi Track

NEW SHELTER FOR ICONIC TRACK

The new shelter offers a place to pause for all trail users. It also serves an important safety function, providing a dry spot in the event something goes wrong for a trail user.

The simple lines echo the look of over a dozen other Motu Trails shelters, around the Dunes Trail, Motu Road, Pakihi Track, and Rere Falls Trail.

It has been named the Kathy Sheldrake Shelter, to recognise the ten years of volunteer effort Kathy put into Motu Trails.

The new shelter location is more than six kilometres from the nearest road, surrounded by steep and densely forested hills, so the project presented challenges. But the work all went smoothly with ideal weather conditions for the three days.

Builder Sepp Stadler prefabricated the shelter in the workshop, so on-site work involved no cutting of timber, and the finish is top quality. Materials and tools were skilfully lowered to the site by Steve Woods of Motu Helicopters.

A generous donation to Motu Trails Trust some time ago by Garth Barfoot made the new Kathy Sheldrake Shelter possible. We also had support from Nga Haerenga, New Zealand Cycle Trails.

Garth's donation has previously enabled us to build three other shelters, amongst several other projects.

Thank you Garth, Steve, Sepp and all others involved, it is great to see the shelter up for trail users to enjoy!

"It is such a unique and fantastic ride, whether that is just the dunes track or the whole loop, it is just amazing. The track, scenery, signs, the way it has been maintained"

"The main reason for visiting was the Pakihi Track, this is an amazing experience though ancient rain forests, one of the best rides I've ever done … Well done the Motu Trust, you have a jewel in the crown in the Pakihi. "

"We cycled the Dunes, Old Motu Road through to Motu village. There were lots of kamahi [trees] flowering along the road side. Beautiful bush and scenery. Great ride. "

"Just being able to hop on my bike and ride is great. The freedom of being out there. We are so fortunate to be able to do this. All of this, in an amazing environment. "

"Loved the whole journey from Rere falls , the rockslide and Motu/Pakihi to Opotiki. "

"We love this trail and do it reasonably regularly. On this day the weather was perfect, the sea was as well and we stopped for a swim and a picnic in the middle of the trail. The environment that we ride through is always the highlight - no matter the weather. "

"The track was very well built and maintained in a challenging landscape. A beautiful part of the country I wouldn’t have seen if not for the bike and local shuttle service. "

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