Keeping Our Meagre Akl Trails Open

[trancemaster]

Hi Just a note to say that seeing as all Akl Councils are so hopeless to mt biking, that riders need to keep existing trails open.
I rode Hunua Mangatawhiri Challenge track late Jan and its great. Only 1other bike track on it. It needs to be riden to keep the profile up. Turns out ARC Ranger put up a CLOSED sign - to wet and trees down. Well thats a LIE, its dry season only and just weeds over it. ARC need to get out the brush cutter. 1.2m pop'ln in Akl and ARC have 2 decent ride areas, Hunua and Whaharau (the 18km loop is great, dry only)

Also Riverhead Gun Club (Browns/ Barlow/ Pinetone Rds) needs riders on it, I have been clearing it with other riders. Needs a few trees across it to keep MX out.

[Spokes]

You need to talk to Ryan at Freeridin. They work WITH the MX guys and I believe share some trails at Riverhead.

[kat1]

Have to agree, we were also out at Mangatawhiri last month attempting the farm trail, we ended up abandoning the trail for the road because of the blackberry.

[mandy]

Recently moved bk to AK after living and riding in Chch fr 13yrs and have since ridden Hunua(only the XC race track used every time) Riverhead(need to be a local in the knw to suss out trails but dats wat the summer series is gd for aye) and of cource Woodhill, but discovered Whitford Forest tracks and were blowen away at the awesome well organised tracks out there that alot of Aklanders dnt knw about and its the best!! They jst need 2 dbl the amts of tracks and link the 'grim racker' w the main lot so dnt need to go up long gravel ride to get too and break up sng track. Bit mr teachnical than mst other tracks arnd auck but if could get mr trails out there and poss mr support/access would be THE best forest to use wen Ak hosts nxt NATs instead of the rest of NZ jst knwing Ak as Sandy Woodhill. Auck has THE best undulating forest terrain nxt to Rotovegas and not been developed! UGGHH so frustrating, tho think has abit to do w Auck not been as patriotic and proud of this region as others(eg 1 eyed cantabrians?) Most prefer to support out of town events rather than developing Ak 's paridise terrain! Crazy! eg. drove past a huge billboard in city advertising Rotorua MTB tracks (obviouly the bst in Nth Is and poss NZ) but no real reason why AK cant have the same, got the population to support it.
Any1 else feel the same? And what do do bout it?

[Spokes]

I believe the issue is the forests around here are more privatly controled.

Unlike the Waitaks.

[mandy]

Waitak's i havent chqd yet, worth spending time to chq out then? So if access is main problem w developing great nationaly renowed mtb trails in Ak then its developing the Council owned forest? I currently wrk for Nth Shore Council in outdoor recreation. There 'vision' "Every day an active day, making recreation part of your life "
There 'mission' "To provide every person in Nth Shore City the opportunity to participate in recreational activity"
Is this mr for walkers to protect there tracks? I have heard AUCK City council isnt as obliging (dead wood?) and im sure(since living in Rodney Discrict) that Rodney also has a similar mission statement focused on outdoor activity. May just have to change mr from the greater Ak MTBrs to band together and push for mr developed forest tracks and MORE aucklanders supporting there own region. Takes a while to change in councils, but if they see a need in the community that looks staunch enuf there could be funds but aside to BUY mr privately ownd forests that arnt tooo precious 4 MTBrs to tear up and develop into a real MTB park, as long as theres huge support and its gunna get used? or is that too logical and topic mr complicated than initially looks?

[Spokes]

Waitaks are closed to MTBs due to council hating us.

Are you a member of WCRC? They have the maps for RH.

[mandy]

No de abbreviate?

[Chickenman]

MTB = Mountain Terrain Bicycle

Oh I guess you meant the rest

WCRC = West Coast Riders Club
RH = Riverhead

[mandy]

Howdy Chikenman, my partner has mentioned u a few times, u raced riverhead a few wks ago? did u get yr place sorted? Hehe, hard luck there. You'll have to make up for it nxt mth, hope i can get out there then too, Andy's recovering frm da puhoi 77km marathon, jst bout killed him, but think he needed it so can complete da wild west nxt week w'out da Elite field rippin his wee scrawny legs off!

[phunk]

You type funny, its hard to read.

[Chickenman]

I'd guessed it was you

Yeah I raced, but nah the results I don't think got sorted in the end, so I'll still take a guess at being 7th overall. Andy did well at that race, the wirey old bastard!

I think he'll be fine, he can still live in the box it seems!

[mandy]

K Spokes...roger that. and Phunk, I am educated jst time resrained when typing

[trancemaster]

the ARC is looking at new Mtb trails in the 2 new parks at Aitiu Creek park on the Kaipara, plus Waitara Park past Clevedon. watch the AkMtBClub website

[ryancrawcour]

there is stuff happening in and around Akl in terms of trails.
and yes a lot of it you only find out about because you know somebody who knows somebody who has ridden there before, but that's ok. word will spread.

the thing is, we as mtb'ers are all too quick to demand better trails from the council / clubs / volunteers but how many of us actually volunteer our time to build tracks?
i lived in Wellington before shifting up to Akl. The majority (no scratch that) ALL of the great tracks in Wellington are built and maintained by VOLUNTEERS!

the Auckland Mtb Club is doing some good things with the council, in terms of getting access to new areas.
In reality any areas we are granted access to and any tracks that go up will need volunteers to keep them built, we can't expect the council provide and maintain tracks for us.

for your taste of some track maintenance pop over to Albany every 2nd Sun of every month to lend a hand with the tracks going in there.
it is also my understanding that there are work parties arranged by the Akl Mtb Club for the Hunua ranges, so if you ride there and want to help out with some maintenance get hold of the club and offer your services and time.

The good tracks become even more rewarding once you know how much blood sweat and tears go in to building them!

<steps off soapbox now />