Bike Wānaka has ticked off one project and is embarking on another major one next year.

The group’s “refresh” of the children’s bike park adjacent to Gunn Road, Albert Town, is pretty much done, Bike Wānaka secretary Jennie Taylor told the Wānaka App.

“We are super excited about Gunn Road. It’s been in the works for a while and was badly in need of a refresh.

The area is more than a kids’ bike park and pump track, she said: “It’s fun for everyone.”

Jennie said grants from Central Lakes Trust and the “incredibly supportive” Albert Town Community Association were put to good use, along with some Bike Wānaka funds. 

Wānaka trail builders Dirt Dynamics took just a few weeks to upgrade the tracks, and there are plans for future planting in the area in collaboration with Te Kākano. 

The Hikuwai bike park has been ‘refreshed’. PHOTO: Dirt Dynamics

Lismore Park: ‘a huge undertaking’

But the group’s plans for Lismore Park - due to start in February 2023 - are more ambitious.

“It’s a huge undertaking, and it’s going to be such a cool asset for Wānaka,” Jennie said.

The urban bike park has seen better days and the group plans to rejuvenate it, creating a community hub which would bring together everyone from toddlers on tricycles to expert bikers.

Wānaka’s BMX community originally developed the area and Jennie said Bike Wānaka is talking to members of that community and would like them to be involved in the rebuild.

The plans include trails progressing from ‘family grade 1’ trails featuring bermed turns and rollers, all the way to a ‘grade 6’ jump trail boasting 15ft+ gap jumps. 

The Lismore Park bike area has seen better days, but keen volunteers have big plans for the area. PHOTO: Wānaka App

There will also be a freestyle area with a mulch jump and airbag to provide a safe way for riders to learn tricks and an asphalt pump track for younger riders, scooters and skateboards.

As an early step the volunteers have hauled away two trailers full of rubbish from the area, Jennie said.

She said some of the trees are overcrowded, and the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board has given Bike Wānaka the thumbs up to remove some of them.

“The quality of the work the bike club is doing at Hikuwai at the moment is incredibly high,” deputy mayor Quentin Smith said of the project. “….[it’s] nice to see they are taking a strategic view.”

The first phase alone will cost $100K, Jennie said, and the group has funding from the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Otago Community Trust, and the Lions Foundation.

Future maintenance costs have been budgeted for by Bike Wānaka at approximately $5K per year, plus volunteer dig days.

Bike Wānaka member Russ Paver said, after a year of volunteer work, the Lismore Park project will be Bike Wānaka’s “biggest and best project yet and as a club we couldn’t be more excited to get things underway”.