Visitors to Kaiaua will soon have a great spot to stretch their legs, skim stones, and enjoy their lunch, thanks to a Government contribution announced last weekend.
$80,000 will go towards a car parking and freedom camping area at Kaiaua, from the latest round of the MBIE Tourism Infrastructure Fund. The fund is designed to help local councils meet public infrastructure needs where visitor growth is placing pressure on existing facilities.
The funding will create a destination at the Kaiaua end of the new 10km Hauraki Rail Trail extension, between the township and Pūkorokoro/Miranda. The Kaiaua Coastline is a stunning location, and the upgrades present a great opportunity to showcase the area.
Plans include day and overnight parking areas with landscaping, picnic areas and toilets. An upgrade to the adjacent Pirate Ship play ground is also on the list a bit further down track.
Robust, adaptable designs for the parking area will help withstand the possible effects from the sea, using shell and Pohutukawa trees which are already part of the natural environment, and will retain the natural character of the area.
The project also has the support of the NZ Motor Caravan Association which is contributing $10,000. Construction of the Trail is due to begin at the end of July, with work on the car parking and freedom camping area towards the end of the year.
The Kaiaua to Kopu section of the Trail is unique, offering great natural attractions which can only be seen from the cycle trail - such as rare migratory shorebirds and wetlands.
Native birds that spend part of their year on the Thames coast before flying to the Arctic will have a safer place to refuel now their main pit stop (the Yellow Sea) has also just been given World Heritage site status. A world of possibility now awaits the Hauraki Rail Trail Must Do, the Pūkorokoro-Miranda Shorebird Centre.
If you’d like to find out more about the project, updated plans and designs are available to view on the council’s website.
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