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 />
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<strong>10</strong>5 Carters Rd, Amberley<br />
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E: office@amberleycollision.co.nz<br />
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