Manapouri Te Anau Trail Volunteers

A MESSAGE from Aaron Nicholson founder of the Fiordland Trails Trust concept

If you are a Member of the Comunity that likes to get stuck into something that will benefit your community you can just go for it !

Right Now there is a Network of Walking Trails from The Rainbow Reach Swing Bridge to the Township of Manapouri that needs your attention.

Next time you want to spend a day or afternoon out enjoying Fiordland National Park remember you can help keep our local track open, they are used by locals and are not maintained by DOC

There is allways a Problem with Windfalls and Fallen Vegatation, that can be removed by volunteers without direction from the Government or the CMS.

Just be mindfull that although the Supply Bay Area seems like our back yard it is still Fiordland National Park and should be treated with respect as it is every bit as dangerous if you leave the Trail Network.

The Area is worth a visit for Birdlife, Unique Forest and Scenic Vistas of Beaches, River, Mountains and Lake.

Fiordland Advocate - Skate Board Luge Idea.

Posted 13th September 2013 to the Fiordland Advocate Te Anau

I recently told an Invercargill Newspaper about an idea I had For Manapouri Some Years Ago... A Skateboard Luge Track but like Queenstown’s Sky Line Luge,
With a scenic backdrop... It stands to reason that Te Anau would be an ideal place for such an attraction as well as the Likes of Bluff...

Two Places stick out as Ideal Locations, Lookout Hill 6 km’s out of Te Anau on the Road to Milford Sound Would be a definite Starter and the un named Hill Between Pleasant Bay and Te Anau Downs would have a perfect out look..  Just think another reason for people to stay in "the Basin" for another night...


The Queenstown Luge is a great concept but a I have seen kids in Germany skating along half concrete pipe water races and having a great time of it..
Perhaps we could get creative here too...

Southland Express - New Cycleways 2013

Letter to the Editor Southland Express posted: 21 Aug 2013

Good on the Express for highlighting the need for Cycle Trails in the Southland Area...
As a Member of the Local Trails Trust I should point out that There is absolutely no need to convert any walking tracks to
Cycle ways! There are miles of designated areas that just need a modest amount of Infrastructure to make them desirable
For cycling..

For the mere price of just one trophy Home we could have a World Class Trail linking Te Anau to Manapouri through a
Beautiful Forest Landscape along River and Lake Shores that supports just as much Bird life as other part of the National Park.

The forgotten Percy Pass Road and the Borland Road only need a bit of linking digger work / shelters and they can allow cyclists a Fiordland Experience second to none,
Indeed there has been a local industry waiting to use this National Asset since the 1980s. Again, only the price of a modest house in Auckland.

Of Course The Absolute Cheery on the top of them all would be a Hollyford Haast Paper Road Cycleway

But for some Reason when our new Prime Minister said he was handing out Money For Cycle Trails the Department of Conservation forgot to put their hand up.