The weather was just perfect as 40 guests attended the opening of Te Ara Māhuri, our new nature trail at the Rod Donald Hut, on Saturday.
We are privileged to have been gifted the name Te Ara Māhuri for the trail, meaning ‘the path of the saplings’, by Wairewa Rūnanga, and we wish to thank Iaean Cranwell and Aaria Rolleston for representing Wairewa and officiating the tikanga. Isla Beckingsale who had stayed in the hut the night before with her parents and siblings, assisted our Chair Jenn Chowaniec to cut the (native vine) ribbon.
After a tasty morning tea, visitors then walked the trail, a 1km track that meanders through the bush area beyond the hut, past large tōtara, through fuchsia groves, and past many fern clumps and rock features along the way. And yes, of course we had to finish off our event with more kai! A delicious lunch was enjoyed by all, along with chatter in the sunshine before guests departed to walk back out to Port Levy Saddle.
Our innovative track builder, David Brailsford not only managed to get a sign made displaying the trail’s name, but had created clever features such as set photo points and bioluminescent markers to enable the track to be explored at night. A field guide containing activities will be available for children to collect at the hut and take when them as they explore the trail.
We know that Te Ara Māhuri will be a lasting legacy that will be enjoyed by tamariki and their whanau for generations to come.