Sue Rain and her dog Lachie are happy with the new riverside walk-way. Photo, Sigrid Christansen
Dog walkers and runners rejoice, as locals can now enjoy both sides of the Mangaokewa without getting their shoes muddy.
On Monday, residents woke to find a new gravel pathway leading from behind Te Kūiti Primary School towards the bowling club footbridge.
Previously, that side of the river had only muddy grass in winter and dusty dirt in summer.
Sue Rains, who walks her dog Lachie in the area regularly, said she was “ecstatic” when she first saw the new walkway.
Lachie is a black three-year-old staffy-mastiff cross “with a few other things mixed in.”
Sue said as a walker, she appreciated the changes.
“My first reaction was, ‘oh my gosh.
“How can I be this excited about a footpath’,” she said.
Sue enjoys walking by the stream because it is a place she feels safe and comfortable.
“When I first came to town, my neighbour said, ‘look, go down near the river, it’s so beautiful.’”
But the mud was an issue.
“It becomes a tiptoeing sort of thing. My shoes would get soaked through. And I’ve taken grandchildren when they’ve come to stay, and the same thing happened.”
It has not yet been revealed who constructed the footpath, or why it appeared at this time.
Waitomo District Council is staying tight-lipped about its origins.
“This particular project is linked to Central Government’s Three Waters Better Off Funding and the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund funding.
“There are strict rules we have to adhere to regarding communications and media, which includes all statements and quotes being pre-approved by the Department of Internal Affairs before distribution,” council communications leader Jenelle Burnell said.
