Funding supports Kawatiri Coastal Trail
ACTIVITY: Managing Enhanced Access Grant applications
In 2018 and 2021 Herenga ā Nuku supported the Charleston Westport Coastal Trail Trust with Enhanced Access Grants.
The trust drives the development of the Kawatiri Coastal Trail, Te Huarahi Takutai o Kawatiri. It’s a family-friendly cycling and walking heritage trail that connects the Buller District towns of Westport and Charleston.
Since 2017, we have been working with the trust as they develop agreements with landowners, the Buller District Council and the Department of Conservation to allow people to bike and walk along the trail. The trust faced significant legal costs as it sought to create walkway easements. These would safeguard public access over the route and ensure the trail could be managed as a single entity. Our funding grant helps cover these costs.
Some sections of the 50 km trail are already open, and riders and walkers have been making the most of them. Interpretive panels help visitors discover stories from Māori and Pākehā history as well as the area’s rich biodiversity and stunning landscapes.