Southern View: November 22, 2016

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10 Tuesday November 22 2016 News SOUTHERN VIEW Test your sense of adventure Whether it is mountain biking, walking, thrill seeking or coffee, Christchurch Adventure Park aims to offer something for everyone. Bridget Rutherford reports FIVE YEARS ago, Canadian leisure developer Select Evolution was keen to build a new adventure park. It searched the United Kingdom, Europe, and even Queenstown and Auckland, to no avail. But in 2011, Christchurch mountain biker Tim Prebble was sitting on a chairlift next to a woman at Whistler Blackcomb – a mountain bike park in British Columbia. The woman was working at the park as a coach. But not only did she work there, she was one of the brains behind it – Select Evolution chairwoman Fiona Sutton. Mr Prebble suggested Select should develop a similar adventure park in Christchurch, but she told him there was nowhere suitable. But Mr Prebble knew just the OPENING SOON: Select Evolution programme developer Darron Charity in front of the chairlift. place – a 364ha forest block, owned by McVicar Holdings Ltd between Dyers Pass, Worsleys and Summit Rds. Just 17min from the city centre, it connected to some of the existing mountain bike tracks in the Port Hills, and had the perfect valley to install a chairlift and zip lines. Within three months Ms Sutton visited the site. “One thing led to another,” Select Evolution programme developer Darron Charity said. But fate and a bit of luck weren’t the only things that brought the development to Christchurch. “It took a hell of a lot of hard work to get it across the line,” he said. When phase one of the Christchurch Adventure Park is completed in December it will be the largest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. To date it has cost $25 million. The Government and city council’s Development Christchurch each contributed $2 million, while the remaining funding had come from a bank loan, New Urban Group, and investment from the United States, Singapore and New Zealand. Christmas is arriving early at Avonhead! Grab a $30 Voucher for only $20 Available for purchase from outside Piccadilly Books 28th - 30th November 12-2pm Limit of 5 vouchers sold per customer. Valid 1st-31st December 2016. One voucher can be used per transaction. Terms and conditions apply, see www.avonhead.co.nz for details. AvonheadShoppingCentre www.avonhead.co.nz Cnr Withells Rd and Merrin St, Avonhead
SOUTHERN VIEW Tuesday November 22 2016 11 at new Port Hills leisure park “We’ll have to go to market to secure funding for the next phase,” Mr Charity said. He said the developers, manufacturers and contractors had crammed 20 months of work into eight, just to get the park open as a Christmas present for Christchurch. There could be up to 150 contractors on site each day, while there were another 100 people working on it off site, he said. Construction began in April, and already, the early bird season pass tickets have sold out. More tickets aimed at casual users and families will be released this month. What’s more is the park is on schedule and on budget, he said. “We set a budget four years ago and we’re still delivering on it. It’s extremely tight.” The majority of the new tracks had been carved – some with diggers, but the more technical ones have been built by hand, with the help of volunteers armed with shovels and rakes. Each jump has been designed by engineers. The 8km green track has a gradient of about 3-4 per cent, while the 5km blue track is about 5-6 per cent. FITS IN: The cafe and bar is being built by Amalgamated Builders out of douglas fir – the same timber as the trees that surrounds it. The hardest – the 5km black track – is where the jumps are introduced and is for more experienced riders. Riders from the age of seven can have a go at mountain biking at the park, and a track will be installed for under five-year-olds next to the cafe. Mr Charity said the park would get more people outdoors and into the sport. There would be 16 coaches at the park, and mountain bikes and safety equipment could be hired, he said. “This is a sport progression park.” But it’s not just for mountain and downhill biking. There is also a walking track, you could enjoy a coffee or a drink at the cafe and bar, not to mention the activities for thrill seekers. Four dual zip lines have been installed in different parts of the park – with one being 180m off the ground. At 1.8km, the electric-powered chairlift will be the largest in New Zealand, with the ability to hold 56 chairs at any one time. At the top, it will be 450m high. People will be able to ride the chairlift to get to the top of the park, where they can either use the tracks to come down, head up to the Summit Rd, or ride the zip lines down. Four people could fit in each chair, with a stand for them to park their bikes in. Mr Charity said the douglas fir trees below the chairlift had to be cut down before a drone was used to take footage of the route. It was then sent over to Austrian manufacturer Doppelmayr, which built the towers before shipping them to Lyttelton, he said. Mr Charity said contractors spent three months doing concrete work in preparation for the tower installation, which took a month. At the entrance to the park, three douglas fir timber buildings sit amongst the forestry, housing the ticketing reception, the hire facilities and a cafe and bar, which could seat up to 180 people. Mr Charity said the cafe and bar would stock local produce and drinks, including Cassels and Sons Brewery beer and wine from Black Estate, Waipara. “It has to feel like Christchurch,” he said. •Turn to page 13 Every Sale Bangs a Nail! FRee pick-up SeRvice phone: (03) 420 4342 Donate your household items to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, to help families into decent homes. Two drop-off locations: 189 Waltham Rd, Sydenham & 567 Wairakei Rd, Burnside. Free Range Manuka Smoked Whole Hams on the bone Special! $ 16 90 KG Banfields of Beckenham 134A Colombo Street. Ph: 332 6148 SKILL STANDS OUT N0.1 CONSULTANT FOR HARCOURTS CANTERBURY SINCE 2012 'AS IS' AUCTION DAY
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Southern View: November 22, 2016

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