Colin Edwards seen here at a Friends' planting day. |
The upgrade of the Smuggler’s Cove track to day- walk standard is close to completion, somewhat behind schedule in terms of the time taken, but an exceptionally wet winter and the compulsive fascination for the contractors’ efforts by yearling cattle are partly responsible for that. Neither did the original contractor
abandoning the project help.
But Paul Butturini of Northland Park Care has taken over the project. He was responsible for the upgrades on the Mangawhai Heads track and the track over Mt Aubrey. I’ve just come back from a walk along the Smugglers track where I met and talked with Paul. I had a chance to see the repair work his team has been doing. Excellent! That, coupled with the new growth on the Urquhart Bay plantings that have been done by Friends over the past few years has left me feeling really excited. We seem to be getting somewhere!
For those who enjoy a more strenuous walk or an over night stay at Peach Cove, on the Bream Head Ridge track and the Peach Cove track the contractors (Fulton Hogan Northland) have been doing a creditable job in difficult circumstances, but are also behind schedule. There will be some parts of their project that will remain for completion post Christmas but the sites will be left safe. Next years work will be very site specific and closure will be only for the affected areas, and subject to the walkers’ responsibility.
All going well all the tracks will be operational by Xmas.
On the Smugglers and Peach Cove tracks stiles have been replaced by “kissing gates”, wet areas have been drained, rough bits smoothed off, steep slopes zigzagged or fitted with solidly constructed timber steps, and the whole covered with fine, compacted gravel; drainage channels and culverts have been constructed to lessen the damaging effect of rain runoff.
Inevitably the ecology of the track margins has suffered during the upgrade and some of us may grieve at the temporary loss of such gems as ground orchids and sun dew in bloom,
but it is surprising how quickly nature heals, faster even than human memory fades.
The cost of the upgrade has been considerable and thorough ongoing maintenance will be paramount in protecting the value of this special public asset. Well maintained tracks also reduce the visitors impact on the ecology. There is a wonderful opportunity here for Friends of Bream Head to become involved in and share the workload with DoC in making a significant physical contribution to an area we all hold as special.
To this end Colin Edwards (pictured above), a Friend since 2002, has agreed on behalf of the Trust, to work with DOC in defining the tasks that need to be done and in supervising a team of Friends to carry out basic maintenance. This will be very much experimental for both parties, a Government Department and a Community Group, working together to achieve a common goal.
David Monro
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