Waikato River Trails

Waikato River Trails
Snowsill to Atiamuri Trail in January 2010
Length	100 km (62 mi)
Location	near Atiamuri, New Zealand
Trailheads	Atiamuri / Horahora
Use	Walking Cycling
Hiking details
Trail difficulty	Average to difficult
Season	Year round
Sights	Waikato River Hydropower lakes and dams Arapuni Suspension Bridge
Hazards	Cliffs

The Waikato River Trails is a combined walk- and cycleway along the Waikato River. Originally conceived and started by local politicians and trustees, in 2009 the trails became one of the seven Quick Start Projects that form the beginning of the New Zealand Cycle Trail. The trail is proposed to be 100 km long, out of which 50 km existed before the NZCT scheme was created. In mid-2011, work on the last sections of the cycle trail project sections was begun, while the official grand opening occurred early November 2011.

The trails are located in the Waikato Region along the Waikato River. They pass through the districts of South Waikato, Otorohanga and Taupo.

At present, seven trails exist. They are: Arapuni Village to Arapuni Dam, Arapuni Dam to Jones Landing, Whakamaru Dam to Whakamaru Reserve, Ongaroto Bluffs Trail, Whakamaru Christian Camp to Snowsill, Dunham Creek Mobility Trail and the Atiamuri Trail

The Whakamaru Christian Camp to Snowsill trail is approximately 3 km long and takes around half an hour to walk.

In September 2003, the South Waikato Economic Development Trust established a Waikato River Trail Management Group. The Waikato River Trails Trust managing the trail was incorporated on 3 February 2006.

In 2004, a 3 km trail from Arapuni Dam to Jones Landing was opened, marking the start of the construction project.

On 10 November 2009, Prime Minister John Key officially launched the construction of the first New Zealand Cycle Trail project at the Little Waipa Reserve adjacent to the Waikato River. This site, on Horahora Road, has now gone down in history as the spot where turf was first turned on the first of seven of the Government’s Quick Start projects. The first contract was signed in April 2010, assigning $3.4 million from the cycle trail fund to construct the last 41 km of the 100 km distance. In addition, it is estimated that volunteer and in-kind work was donated to a total of $1.5 million.

The opening is scheduled in time for the 2010 World Rowing Championships at Lake Karapiro, near Cambridge, New Zealand from 29 October – 7 November. The trail is conservatively attract about 20,000 people per year, with much of the visitors coming from the Auckland and Waikato regions.