Prime spot for horse trail

BY CARALISE MOORE

A Rodney trail may be the next big international tourist attraction.

NZ Horse Recreation Group says Rodney has all the right ingredients to make a successful and popular trail, similar to the Central Otago Rail Trail.

Group founder Vivien Dostine has been advocating links and access to several reserves and regional parks, a "connect the dot" method to establish a trail for horse riders, cyclists, hikers and possibly kayakers.

"Rodney is a prime location for something like this," the Massey resident says.

"With townships like Helensville and Matakana, and huge expanses of regional park land that follow coastline, it is ideal.

"We are already starting to connect current riding locations together."

New Zealand has about 120,000 horses - and about 30,000 are race horses, Miss Dostine says.

"The economic contribution from the horse industry in Rodney is as strong, if not stronger, than the wine industry. The biggest issue we face as a group is that the industry is invisible.

"There are already huge trails internationally like the Florida Trail and the Great Canadian Trail that combine four or five core activities. We have a lot of potential for something like that," Miss Dostine says.

The group made a submission to the Auckland Regional Council parks management plan in December, with hearings in February, raising the issue of access to regional parks by recreational riders.

"There is a need to improve the principle of freedom of access," Miss Dostine says.

"There are a wide array of different permits, rules and systems used to restrict access which makes use confusing and difficult."

The submission recommends making Atiu Creek and Muriwai regional parks more accessible for riders.

"At the moment every park has a different system to access it," Miss Dostine says.

"Some you have to pay a permit for the year, or a bond for a key, call the rangers, get several codes - it puts people off using the sites. We want to see a consistent regional pass.

"For recreational riders it's a case of speaking up. If councils don't hear what we want, they won't do anything."

The Rodney District Council already has an adopted bridleways strategy, which guides the development of recreational bridle trails in the district.

The strategy aims to identify potential routes for further investigation, guide the development, implementation and maintenance of bridleways, promote public awareness and use of bridleways, and improve safety associated with horse riding in the district. The strategy is reviewed every three years.

But bridleways identified in the strategy only touch on the concept of a multipurpose tourist trail, Miss Dostine says.

"It would have to be a combined effort between land owners and councils." 

NZ Horse Recreation Group is a country-wide community for recreational riders.

It has about 500 members and several affiliated groups and clubs.

The group gives recreational riders a united voice and represents riders' interests to the Conservation Department, Auckland Regional Council, and district councils.

- © Fairfax NZ News