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North Canterbury News: December 10, 2020

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NEWS<br />

22 <strong>North</strong> <strong>Canterbury</strong> <strong>News</strong>, <strong>December</strong> <strong>10</strong>, <strong>2020</strong><br />

Race marks opening of bike trails<br />

By ROBYN BRISTOW<br />

New world class mountainbiking<br />

trails opened in<br />

Hanmer Springs at the<br />

weekend, after five years in<br />

the making.<br />

The new trails, in the<br />

Hanmer Forest Park, add to a<br />

network that caters to all ages<br />

and abilities.<br />

The new trails include the<br />

4km Tombstone trail, an<br />

advanced single­track that<br />

provides 185m of climbing to<br />

its highest point at 698m,<br />

followed by an exciting 240m<br />

descent with multiple twists,<br />

turns and drops.<br />

The lead track builder of<br />

the Tombstone trail, Steve<br />

Pearson, said it took five<br />

years to build atrail he<br />

described as truly special.<br />

‘‘The terrain is as good as it<br />

gets for mountain bike trails.<br />

It really is world class and<br />

compares to anything you’ll<br />

find in Europe or <strong>North</strong><br />

America.<br />

‘‘Tombstone also has some<br />

of the best views around,<br />

making it not just aride but a<br />

spectacular experience.’’<br />

The lead builder of the<br />

Southern Cross trail, Mark<br />

Inglis, says the trails will help<br />

attract avid mountain bikers<br />

to the alpine village.<br />

‘‘These new trails put on us<br />

on the national mountainbiking<br />

map. Where else can<br />

you be having acoffee and<br />

then afew pedal strokes later<br />

be on some of the best<br />

mountain bike trails?’’<br />

The trails were constructed<br />

mostly by hand, with<br />

volunteers completing 90<br />

percent of the work,<br />

including members of the<br />

Track Network Group and the<br />

Hanmer Springs Mountain<br />

Bike Club.<br />

‘‘Without the support of our<br />

local community, we wouldn’t<br />

have been able to create<br />

something to this scale,’’ Mr<br />

Inglis says.<br />

‘‘It’s atrue testament of<br />

teamwork and community<br />

spirit.’’<br />

The trails were officially<br />

opened at the inaugural<br />

Tombstone Mountain Bike<br />

Race last Sunday by two­time<br />

mountain bike world<br />

champion Anton Cooper.<br />

He says it is an exciting<br />

prospect having the new<br />

trails open in his own <strong>North</strong><br />

<strong>Canterbury</strong> backyard.<br />

‘‘New Zealand has some of<br />

the best trails in the world<br />

and all reports are saying<br />

these new trails are up there.<br />

They’re technical and<br />

exciting.<br />

‘‘The trails are really just<br />

the icing on the cake.<br />

Mountain biking is taking off<br />

around the world and, amidst<br />

apandemic, it’s awesome to<br />

see what the team in Hanmer<br />

has been able to do.’’<br />

He set the riders off in the<br />

race, which consisted of three<br />

different courses, with two<br />

incorporating the new<br />

advanced Tombstone track.<br />

The third was ashorter and<br />

less technical ride for bikers<br />

New trails ... New cycling trails have opened in Hanmer Springs.<br />

PHOTO: JOHNO FASUSCH<br />

of varying abilities.<br />

The weekend also marked<br />

the official opening of abike<br />

wash and repair bay, built<br />

with support from Hanmer<br />

Springs Four Square.<br />

Restoration<br />

completed<br />

By ROBYN BRISTOW<br />

The Kowai CountyCouncil Archives<br />

building has been strengthened and is<br />

set to return as aplaceofremembrance.<br />

The 1922 building housestwo marble<br />

war memorialplaques,and aroll of<br />

honour, to localservicemen who served<br />

in the two world wars. It is also home to<br />

the Kowai Archives Society.<br />

It is listedasaCategory 2historic site<br />

underthe Historic Places Act and is<br />

identified as aheritage building in the<br />

Hurunui District Plan.<br />

The building in upper Sefton was<br />

badlydamaged in the 20<strong>10</strong> and 2011<br />

earthquakes. It has been strengthened<br />

and renovated with insurance fundsand<br />

aportionofaLottery environment and<br />

heritage grant received by the Hurunui<br />

District Council for earthquake repairs.<br />

The total project included repairs to<br />

all exterior and interiorplaster, anda<br />

new roof.Amajoreffort has ensured the<br />

ornate plaster ceiling remains afeature<br />

of the main room.<br />

Steelwork and bracing was fitted to<br />

the ceiling, bringing the building up to 34<br />

percent of the New Building Standard.<br />

Hurunui district councillor Michael<br />

Ward says restoration of the building will<br />

benefit the community. ‘‘Yet it still<br />

maintains its original charm,’’hesays.<br />

The planned work was on budget, with<br />

works delayed because ofCovid­19.<br />

The Kowai Archive Society was<br />

established in 1990 by members of the<br />

Sefton­KowaiCountryWomen’s<br />

Institute, to collect andpreserve<br />

important local records. The Amberley<br />

HistoricalSocietywas establishedinthe<br />

1970sand amalgamatedwith the<br />

archives in the early 90s.<br />

Quality Collision Repairs in the<br />

Heart ofAmberley<br />

• Competitive Rates • Insurance repairs<br />

• Free Quotes • Courtesy Vehicles<br />

• Free Pick up and Delivery<br />

<strong>10</strong>5 Carters Rd, Amberley<br />

Ph:314 8434<br />

E: office@amberleycollision.co.nz<br />

2333673v1

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