Trail News and Maintenance -The large number of Trail users over the New Year period has continued. Planning is underway for the Pauanui Half Marathon in March. We will once again ensure the Trail surface is at its best for this event. The 3 water tanks placed along the Trail are well used by passers-by who are watering the new plantings. The Resene Paints buckets at each tank position are proving ideal for the job. We are investigating the supply of more native trees for our planting program.

Predator Control - The following pests were eradicated over the reporting period: 2 x possum 9 x rats 23 x Good Nature Kills 2 x Stoats A graph showing seasonal pest kill rates is available on our website. Trail Usage Counter 6216 passes for the period 21st January – 3rd March.

Funding -  We received $1810.00 from the general public over this period bringing the total from this source for the year to date to $31,892.00. With the approach of winter orders for firewood have ramped up. Investigations into additional funding streams for the Northern Trail Route construction are ongoing.

Trail Stage 3 Progress - Progress along the Marginal Strip adjacent to the Tairua River is still currently halted at the boundary between TCDC and DoC administered land. Work with our stakeholders to find a way forward is ongoing. In the meantime we are planning the construction of the last section of the Stage 3 route from the bridge at Prescott’s Garage in Hikuai back towards Pauanui. This entails building the Trail in the road reserve on the Northern side of the Hikuai Settlement Road as far as the boundary between 201 and 251 Hikuai Settlement Road. We thank the TCDC’s Transport & Roading Manager for his support and advice during the planning process. Survey work to mark out the road reserve boundary has been completed. Fencing work along the realigned boundary will get underway shortly. Consultation with the 2 adjacent land owners continues. HDT has arranged training for Trail volunteers to help out with traffic control and back-up machinery use as required during the construction process. A Press Release has been completed and will be released in due course.

Trail Stage 4 - The trail Committee is well into the planning work on the route from Hikuai to Tairua. Consultations have begun with Local Bodies and neighbouring property owners. The technical aspects of the challenging section between the Tairua Primary School and Red Bridge Road are being investigated. Tenders are being sought for the required Geotech work and appropriate Boardwalk systems. Contact has been made with NZTA regarding their Safer Cycling program.

Health & Safety - Incidents raised by Trail users have been investigated.

Trail News and Maintenance:
Pauanui saw its usual swell of visitor numbers over the Christmas / New Year period this year with the Trail showing its usual popularity with walkers, cyclists and family groups. The December Pauanui Half Marathon event was a great success with more than 700 participants with some great comments about the Trail portion of the course. Once again we are having a dry summer so 3 water tanks have been placed along the Trail to enable users to water trees as they pass. We are on the lookout for trailers for 2 more water tanks needed as our planting programme extends along the Trail. Our thanks go out to Resene Paints who donated much needed buckets to place at each tank position.

Predator Control: The following pests were eradicated over the reporting period: 4 x possum 7 x rats 7 x Good Nature Kills 4 x Stoats 3 x Hedgehogs A graph showing seasonal pest kill rates is available on our website. Trail Usage Counter 13,521 for the period 30th November – 29th January.

Funding: We received a $50,000 grant from TCDC earmarked for the Northern Route. Supporting organisations and the general public donated nearly $13,000 over this period. We continue to investigate additional funding streams as we know getting enough funding in place for the Northern Trail Route construction will be challenging.

Trail Stage 3 Progress: Progress along the Marginal Strip adjacent to the Tairua River is still currently halted at the boundary between TCDC and DoC administered land. We continue to work with our stakeholders to find a way forward for this section. In the meantime we have decided to get to work on the remainder of the Stage 3 route to Hikuai in early March. Details of this work will be announced in a Press Release once we have completed all preliminary work.

Trail Stage 4: The trail Committee is well into the planning work on the route from Hikuai to Tairua. Consultations with Local Bodies and neighbouring property owners will take place once we have a workable plan in place.

Health & Safety: A variety of new signs have been placed along the Trail to help users stay safe while on the Trail. The potentially hazardous dead and dying trees on Stage 2 of the Trail have now been removed. Thanks to TCDC and Matt Groube for arranging and carrying out this work in a timely manner. 

Trail News and Maintenance
With the ever increasing numbers of people using holiday homes and visiting the Coromandel due to Covid 19, the Trail’s increasing popularity is indicated by the monthly usage numbers. On the 5th December the Pauanui Half Marathon event which utilises the Trail as part of the course will take place. Over 750 participants are expected. The Trail’s surface is being prepared in anticipation of a great event. 300 donated trees from Container Nurseries in Whenuapai have been planted and protected with the donated pipe from Asmus Group. Thanks to the 2 local teenagers who did the bulk of the planting. Weed control and mulching of existing planting is ongoing. Trail users are encouraged to mulch and water trees as they pass. Have a look at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pauanuitairuatrail/ for details. Congratulations to Jeanette Waters and Mike Spitzer who received awards at the Pauanui Sports and Recreation Club’s Volunteers Service Awards night for their work on the Trail. Look for our workers in their new Hi-Vis work shirts on the Trail and our new Trail tee shirts being worn around the community.

Predator Control: The following pests were eradicated over the reporting period: 2 x possum 1 x rats 1 x Good Nature Kills A graph showing seasonal pest kill rates has been added to our website. Trail Usage Counter 2985 passes for the period 30th October – 29th November.

Funding: The Tairua Trail & Tides Walk had 350 entrants with a donation to come after accounts are finalised. The Sunlover Retreat / Mania Kitchen sponsored event on the 25th November resulted in a $4500 donation to the Trail. Refer to our Website http://www.pauanuitairuatrail.org.nz/contact.html and Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pauanuitairuatrail/ for details.

Trail Stage 3 Progress: Progress along the Marginal Strip adjacent to the Tairua River is currently halted at the boundary between TCDC and DoC administered land. We continue to work with our stakeholders to find a way forward.

Trail Stage 4: We believe our proposal for a walk / cycle way from the Tairua School to the Tairua Cemetery will provide Tairua with a much needed safe access way to the Cemetery area as well as an impressive start / finish point for the Trail to Hikuai. HDT will investigate methodologies to move ahead with this section of the Trail with our stakeholders. Funds raised in Tairua will go toward our efforts here. Health & Safety: Signage and Trail improvements are ongoing to ensure a superior experience by all Trail users.

Other: TCDC have arranged local contractor Matt Groube to remove dead pines and prune dangerous overhanging branches to ensure Trail users have a safe path through the more forested areas of the Trail. 

Trail News and Maintenance:- The good weather over Labour Weekend showed just how popular the Trail is with the increased numbers recorded on the Trail over the month. Several large groups were out enjoying the experience. A group of Pauanui Mobility Scooter and Golf Cart users requested an outing along the Trail. This took place on Monday 2nd November. Our team is continuing to upgrade the Trail surface as material becomes available.

Predator Control:- The following pests were eradicated over the reporting period: 6 x possum 3 x rats 1 Stoat 19 x Good Nature Kills A graph showing seasonal pest kill rates has been added to our website. Trail Usage Counter 3141 passes for the period 21st September – 29th October.

Funding:- The Tairua Trail & Tides Walk / Run event on 7th Nov and this year’s Pauanui Half Marathon on the 5th December, which will include a section of the Trail in the course, are both generously supporting the Trail. Sunlover Retreat and Mania Kitchen are bringing Peta Mathias to Tairua on 25th November for a Dessert and Coffee evening as a Fundraiser for the Trail. Asmuss Group in Hamilton has generously provided a selection of pipes for use on the Trail. Firewood sales and public donations are ongoing.

Trail Stage 3 Progress:- Progress along the Marginal Strip adjacent to the Tairua River is currently halted at the boundary between TCDC and DoC administered land. We continue to work with our stakeholders to find a way forward.

Trail Stage 4:- We believe our proposal for a walk / cycle way from the Tairua School to the Tairua Cemetery will provide Tairua with a much needed safe access way to the Cemetery area as well as an impressive start / finish point for the Trail to Hikuai. HDT will investigate methodologies to move ahead with this section of the Trail with our stakeholders.

Health & Safety:- Signage and Trail improvements are ongoing to ensure a superior experience by all Trail users. Following advice from Rayonier Matariki Forests we are working with TCDC to ensure Trail users have a safe path through the more forested areas of the Trail. 

Trail News and Maintenance
Good weather and the lack of adverse conditions over the last month have meant that Trail usage has continued to build. The committee is looking at ways of improving the Trail surface in some areas to enhance the utilisation & experience of users and ease ongoing maintenance requirements.
Website
The website and Facebook page update is ongoing. Committee member profile updates are underway.
Predator Control
The following pests were eradicated over the reporting period: 2 x possum 5 x rats 4 x Good Nature Kills AT220 traps are working well. These kill both possums and rats. A graph showing seasonal pest kill rates will be added to our website. This indicates that February through to April is when the target pests are most active. Trail Usage Counter 2256 passes for the period 22nd August – 20th September.
Funding
Pub Charity funding has enabled a much needed upgrade to our sand dumper to be completed. Submissions to Local Body, National Authority and other donors / benefactors are being investigated. We would like to thank the organisers of the Tairua Trail & Tides Run / Walk event for their generous donation towards Stage 4 and look forward to this year’s event. See our Facebook page for more details. Firewood sales and public donations are ongoing.
Trail Stage 3 Progress
Progress along the Marginal Strip adjacent to the Tairua River is currently halted at the boundary between TCDC and DoC administered land. We are investigating the possibility of partnering with Iwi, Walking Access NZ, WRC and DoC to return this section of the River Esplanade to an area where the public can see and be involved in a wetland restoration as part of the Trail construction. We believe this is aligned with the bottom line principles of both Walking Access NZ and DoC with regard to the health of our wetlands and restoring public access to publicly owned areas. We believe that local property owners from Pauanui, Hikuai and Tairua could take a role in this partnership.
Trail Stage 4
The committee has now walked a possible route from the Tairua School to the Tairua Cemetery. We believe a walk / cycle way through this area would provide Tairua with a much needed safe access way to the Cemetery as well as an impressive start / finish point to the Trail to Hikuai. A basic map showing how this could be achieved will be developed for discussion and comment by all stakeholders and the public in general. Research into viable construction methods is underway. We await comment on the TCDC produced a map showing a possible alignment of Stage 4 of the Trail between Hikuai and Tairua circulated to stakeholders.
Health & Safety
Signage and Trail improvements are ongoing to ensure a superior experience by all Trail users.