A new 60m long treetop bridge 18m above the ground has been completed in Auckland’s Northcote to allow visitors to enjoy kauri trees without the risk of spreading kauri dieback disease.
Kaipātiki Local Board chairperson John Gillon said a lot of money had been invested into upgrading tracks at local reserves to prevent the spread of the disease.
“Here, we’ve taken the opportunity to invest a bit more and create a step-free route from Kauri Glen Rd to Tui Glen Rd.”
He said it was “perfect” for prams, bikes and wheelchairs and was getting “fantastic feedback from the community”.
The $2m project had been in the works for about six years with half of the funding coming from a targeted rate.
Kauri dieback has affected several reserves in the Kaipātiki Local Board area, including the Kauri Glen Reserve.
“We actually did have to close a number of our reserves temporarily and its taken quite a while for us to get this track up and running.”
The bridge opened earlier than intended after temporary fencing was removed and thrown into a gully.
“We didn’t want to replace it just in case it happened again and that could damage the tree roots down there which we’re working so hard to try and protect,” Gillon said.
An opening event would be held this Sunday, but Gillon said “too many” people were already expected and advised would-be visitors to visit on a different day if possible.