Residents can look forward to better signage for active travel routes around the Upper Clutha in the next two years after Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) allocated $318,000 for local ‘wayfinding’.

The funding “will allow for a consistent signage approach to be established before the [active travel] network grows too large”, a QLDC staff member told the Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board (WUCCB) at a workshop earlier this month.

Wayfinding refers to the signage, colours, and design features that help people navigate and move easily around an area or route - and WUCCB members were pleased to see progress on what they consider a much-needed improvement in the Upper Clutha.

WUCCB chair Simon Telfer said that although it might not be immediately obvious to residents, there is a “real lack” of wayfinding locally.

Fellow WUCCB member John Wellington agreed, describing wayfinding in the Upper Clutha as “pathetic”.

With the project still in the scoping stage, QLDC staff said they couldn’t yet provide specifics on where the signage would be installed.

John asked them to ensure recreational tracks are included as well.

Both Simon and John recommended steering away from creating a bespoke Upper Clutha wayfinding strategy, which they said would be slow and expensive, suggesting instead that QLDC adapt the existing Wakatipu strategy with minor adjustments.

Simon said it made sense to use the current strategy as a base and “give it an Upper Clutha flavour…with some tweaks”.

They said they were keen for the project to get going as soon as possible.

Lake Wānaka Tourism chief executive Mat Woods welcomed the move.

“Investment in wayfinding will be great for both Wānaka locals and visitors as we encourage more people to get out and explore the region on foot and by bike,” he said.

This week a QLDC spokesperson said they expected the new wayfinding to be installed by June 2027 at the latest.

“We’ll be able to provide more information on timings for design and installation as the project progresses,” they said.

PHOTO: Wānaka App