First half of Kawatiri Coastal Trail now open

By Lauren Schaer

West Coast outdoors lovers can now enjoy the first half of the Kawatiri Coastal Trail, beginning in Westport and covering 22km. The section officially opened to walkers and cyclists on 15 February and, when complete, the 42km trail will reach Charleston, possibly by the end of the year.

Mayor of Buller, Jamie Cleine, told the New Zealand Herald the trail would drive tourism on the Coast.

“We can’t wait to see visitors to our district increase as the trail becomes a mustdo for tourists and the New Zealand cycling community. The projected economic and social benefits are immense, and much needed for the region,” says Cleine.

The Charleston Westport Coastal Trail Trust calculates the trail will bring $18.2 million in benefits, such as tourism, accommodation and bike hire to the Buller region over 12 years.

The Outdoor Access Commission, has supported the trust since planning began in 2015. They have provided grants towards survey and legal costs and their walkway easement tool enables the walkway to be managed as one unit rather than a string of separate sections.

As with all walkways, it can be a slow process from securing landowners’ support during surveying to creating easements and constructing the route. The Commission has helped the trust obtain landowners’ agreement in writing, transferable to a new owner should the land be sold in the meantime.

To do this, they developed an Agreement to Grant an Easement (ATGAE) template. ATGAEs give greater certainty to trail builders working with landholders. Most but not all ATGAEs were signed in 2020, leaving a small part of the route to be finalised. The trust has moved this forward in the last few months by signing a new ATGAE.

Outdoor Access Commission regional field advisor Inger Perkins is excited about the impact the trail is going to have on the West Coast.

“As well as being a fabulous recreational asset for the district and the region, Kawatiri Coastal Trail makes it easier and safer for local people to walk and bike between communities,” says Perkins.