Back in the Swing

Work never really stops at Kaiteriteri, even over summer when the lure of the beach is stronger than usual.
While most of our tracks are designed & built to be sustainable, there are a few sections prone to erosion or overgrowth that require a bit more maintenance.

There was even discussion at the start of the project about whether or not the ridgeline tracks, historical skidder lines down steep spurs, should be included in the Park network.

Given their popularity among some expert riders - and those that like to extend the riding opportunities in & around the Park - we decided we'd do what we could to keep them open.

So over the Summer we scheduled a couple of working bees to knock back the gorse, reinstate some drainage channels and try to alleviate the worst of the ruts. This session, spent on Flamin' Nora on a particularly hot day, prolonged its life for a bit longer...

Parallel to this work, we have begun surveying a new line to the top ridge that will provide an easier alternative to the three existing spur-line tracks. We hope to commence digger construction of Skyline in July and have it ready for next summer.

Meanwhile, work has started on the extension to Skullduggery...


First to break the soil was this group from nearby Whenua Iti.
As part of their True North course, designed to introduce young people to the sort of outdoor adventures that build skills & confidence, these participants spent a day in the Park.
With tutor Matt Reed, second on R, they explored the Park trail network before putting down their bikes and picking up the tools. They worked with enthusiasm, raised a few blisters and left with a greater sense of ownership in 'their' local MTB Park.

Our Sunday morning working bees are now back in action and the grubbers are being swung with metronomic regularity.

It's hard but satisfying work - perfect for building core strength for anyone balking at the cost of gym membership.

Taking a well-earned break last Sunday were 'Grib', Greg. Jess & Gary (and Guy). With Summer over, we look forward to being joined by a growing volunteer workforce...

Of course it's not all work and last Thursday evening the Park was a particularly busy place with at least three separate groups on the tracks.
Being aware of approaching riders will be easier now that lights are necessary for the 6 pm rides - just remember to switch them off for the glow-worms...

Park Update

First off: a reminder that February 26 & 27 is KBAR weekend!

The Kaiteriteri Beach Adventure Race, of which the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve Board is a major sponsor, utilises the stunning coastline for a return paddle to Split Apple Rock, a bush & estuary run and, of course, most of the Park's track network for the mountain bike leg.

This means the MTB Park is going to be closed to the general public on Saturday 9.00-12.00 & 2.00-5.00 and Sunday 9.00-11.00 & 1.00-4.00.
If you're planning on being at Kaiteriteri this w/e - and feel inspired by the presence of the country's top multi-sporters - then midday or late afternoon is your chance to hit the trails.

The half-way point in the Park's Easy-grade network is on a spur just above Kimi Ora Spa Resort. Owner Dietmar Glaser has been a helpful & enthusiastic supporter of the Park from its inception. He's acquired a fleet of mountain bikes for hire and offers Mountain Bike Specials for the guests.

No doubt he has often witnessed bikers emerging from the climb up Swamp Monster gasping for a breath & a drink before descending Glade Runner.
Typical of Dietmar is this response...

He's also cleared some trees and installed a seat so you can now enjoy a view down over Kaiteriteri without needing to ascend the top ridge!




At this major track hub, you will also find one of these.

We've installed a couple more of these "You are here" maps at other significant track junctions to help people new to the Park to reorientate themselves.

Of course, they're no substitute for the maps that are available from the Kaiteriteri Beach Camp Office and other accommodation providers but we hope they help...





We're also pretty excited to announce that we've opened up the Easy Rider connection to the Riwaka-Kaiteriteri Rd.
This has been on-again/off-again project over several months so Andrew in particular will be relieved to complete the final grooming of the track and catch up on other business!

I've lost count of the no. of wasp nests he's removed on the bracken-covered slopes - quite a few of which have made their feelings known in the way they know best - and the numerous slips & gullies set a new Kaiteriteri benchmark for 'gnarly terrain'. Still, the tougher the goals, the greater the sense of satisfaction that follows attaining them...

I've posted before about some of the stunning views over Tasman Bay that are available from various points along Easy Rider. Sometimes you really need to stop to appreciate these so Andrew has created a couple of 'viewing platforms' where you can do so without blocking the track.

First to put treadmarks on the freshly-groomed trail were Nigel Cottom (L) & Zac Hayward (R) together with their 6 yr. old children Emma & Jai, respectively. That's their home town Nelson on the other side of the Bay.

It's always great to see dads introducing their kids to the fun of mountain biking and it was obvious Jai & Emma were relishing exploring the track on their new bikes.
'Course, the promise of seeing the digger in action just ahead spurred them on a little more!

Easy Rider, funded by the Tasman District Council, is intended to provide a safe & easier alternative for bikers riding out from Motueka & Riwaka to get onto the Park's trail network or to Kaiteriteri than by using the steep, narrow & winding road.
And it rides even better on the way back home!

MTB Park Closure!

Yep, we're excited to announce that on February 26 & 27, most of the Park's trail network is going to be temporarily closed to the public while we host the 2011 NZ Multisport Championships!


The inaugural KBAR event is being organised by Tasman's champion multisporter Nathan Faevae, who won the right to direct the championships from 2011-2013.
If anyone knows how to run an adventure race that is both challenging and fun, it is Nathan. His success with local events Spring Challenge, Tour de Tasman, 4050 Tour & Source to Sea is set to ensure that KBAR will become a regional & national highlight in the country's sporting calendar.


Having a ready-made mountain bike park 'on the doorstep' was no doubt a big factor in Kaiteriteri being chosen, alongside the superb climate, beaches & calm seas for which it is already such a popular destination. While you won't have the freedom to ride your favourite circuit as usual this particular weekend, that's no reason not to come anyway.

KBAR's website http://www.kbar.co.nz/ provides all the information you need (tho' not on Opera) to choose a category that suits your level of skill & fitness, including individual, pairs & team options. While the country's elite multisporters are going to be out in force, as with all of Nathan's events, the emphasis is on participation so kids and first-timers are catered for as well.

With product expos & entertainment, the place will be pumping, especially when the pro-elites line up @ 1.00pm on Sunday 27 to compete for the national title. I suggest you get there early!

These guys have already chosen their spot...

Where did that come from...?

In previous posts I've written about how difficult the hand-benching of Skullduggery was. Alongside the steep terrain, tree roots & granite rock, a significant stream crossing presented a major hurdle.
A brief scramble down & up did provide an opportunity to refill the water bottle but it also interrupted the flow of the track. Despite the logistical challenge, we decided a bridge was needed.

Andy Ward designed the 5.5m bridge to DOC standards and Waimea Wood of Nelson donated all of the timber requirements.
Talleys delivered it FOC to the Park where Andy set about cutting it to length.

Graham Milne, groundsman at the nearby Kaiteriteri Beach Motor Camp, used their tractor to drag & carry two loads of timber up Big Airs to the junction with Skullduggery.

From here there was only one way to transport the timber along the 700m of narrow singletrack to the stream - by shoulder!
The bulk of this was done one evening over several trips by Bill Hollick, Tony Baldwin, Michael Brewer, Caillin Morris-Trainor (pictured), Gary Drummond & Ross Maley.


Andy then took time out from xmas celebrations to oversee construction of the bridge, assisted here by Ross & Caillin (pictured) and Oliver Weber.
Over two days of digging, sawing, nailing, drilling, bolting & stapling later, it was finished.

It's still possible to climb down to the stream to refill that water bottle but it is also a picturesque spot to pause and wait for companions - the native wood pigeons seem to think so too.



Or you may prefer to maintain your flow on the way to the junction with Flamin' Nora like 'home-for-the-holidays' Zoe Morris-Trainor...


and Andy Gray & Pete Allison from Nelson, enjoying the relative coolness of riding in the forest on one of Kaiteriteri's hottest days!

Gold sponsors Waimea Wood continue to meet our timber needs in a variety of ways, from bridge materials to track marker posts to planned Skills Area constructions. That support complements the many hours dedicated volunteers put into developing & maintaining the Park, making it a truly community-based asset.

Pump Track Mark 2

Those of you visited the Park last summer will remember our first attempt at a pump track. While a hit with a few very-skilled riders, most found it too challenging and avoided it.
It also suffered from serious ponding after each rainfall.

Given how many hours went into this project, it was a big step by the committee to bite the bullet and undertake to start again.

Using funds received from track sponsorship & Park donations, Karl Thompson was asked to design & build a new one. Drawing from Pump Track Nation and his experience of constructing one in his backyard, Karl came up with a simple design that would cater for a wide range of riding ability.

After we arranged for the site to be levelled, Karl moved in and started building & shaping the berms & rollers.

Particular attention was paid to ensuring there were no hollows and that all water would flow easily to the outside edges.

It was finished just in time for the holiday season and was an immediate success.
Most popular use is as a warm-up exercise before hitting the trail network. Pump Track novices, who begin by pedalling their way round, are soon getting the hang of using their weight on the bike to maintain momentum.



While others, like Will Hand from Christchurch, can muster all the speed they need, hitting the tops of the berms and making it look easy!





It's been great to see the number of children developing their biking skills on the track, like Quinne Weber from nearby Stephens Bay.

One family I met staying at Kaiteriteri Beach Camp had to bring their two young children three times a day to keep them happy!



From the obvious amount of use it's had, and the positive feedback from mountain bikers like Paul Hay from Wellington, it's clear the new Pump Track has been a great success.

We hope to be able to extend the track and add in a few more challenges for next summer, along with development of our Skills Area.

It's your donations that are helping to build the Park - we hope you like what you are finding each time you visit...







Coming up, the 2011 NZ Multisport Championships at Kaiteriteri, Feb. 26 & 27.
Categories from elite to recreational.


More info @ www.sportzhub.com/newsgroups/index.php?topic=6778.0

Here's our MTB Park map for 2011.

New tracks from last summer are Ziggy, Skullduggery, Swish and Easy Rider. We've also groomed Big Airs (ex-Velocity) with some sweet water bars for those that like getting a little - or a lot - of air on their way down.

Also new is a totally revamped pump track. Whether its kids pedalling like fury over the humps or fully-kitted warriors pumping out several warm-up laps before hitting the trails, it's certainly getting a lot of use!

Park maps are available at several outlets around Motueka, bike shops in Nelson and at the Beach Camp Office. They include track descriptions to help you plan your ride, as well as important information about how to access the top ridgeline tracks.

You can also find them to download on our Map link above. Also on the Map page you can find a Google Map where we will be recording progress on our planned 2011 tracks.

The Easy Rider road link isn't actually completed yet but, as it's top of our list for 2011, we've included it on the map. Watch this space...

It was a relief today to be able to escape the bustle of the beach and head into the forest for a circuit that took in all of my favourite tracks. The refreshing coolness of the glades was a welcome contrast to the heat 'outside', although the thought of finishing with a swim always seems to surface when riding up Tank for the third time.

And, of course, no ride is complete without the Mountain Biker's Special coffee & cake at The Shoreline Cafe afterwards...

It's not just the riding...

Too often while riding a trail we can get fixated on getting to the end of it as fast as possible. Whether it's your post-work wind-down or an all-day epic, sometimes it's not a bad idea to stop and take some time to just soak up the surroundings.

We have some pretty unique bush & birdlife around NZ and Kaiteriteri's no exception. In the Park we like to encourage users - whether they're on bike or foot - to take a break on the trail and relax. After all, it's usually why they've come to Kaiteriteri in the first place!

Our Swamp Monster Lookout was our first installation. This seat was donated by nearby Kimi Ora Resort and is perfectly placed to spot anything that might arise out of the marshland ferns & grasses it overlooks. It's also a good spot to catch a breather before tackling the climb up to the next spur.


Recently added is this garden seat, donated by a local resident. Sally Ogilvie loves walking the tracks and knew exactly where she wanted it to go: halfway down the switchbacks on Swish.
This is predominantly beech forest and, as Sally had already noted, the birdlife is abundant. If you can bear to interrupt your 'swish' through the switches next time, this is the spot to stop.


Martin Lucas is another local who regularly walks the tracks. Through his company, North West Pest Management, he also sponsors our work by carrying out extensive weed-spraying & strimming in the Park. If you ever wonder why bracken and other regenerating foliage aren't flopping over the tracks, that's due to Martin (and his son Tim when he's home for the holidays).
The benching of Swish & Easy Rider have opened up a part of the Park that wasn't previously getting a lot of bike traffic. Many spots offer superb views over Tapu Bay and Martin identified one on Bay View that cried out for a seat. He & Tim installed it over the weekend - if you're not in too much of hurry you might spot it next time you're passing.