Community steps up to fund Kimi-ākau Bridge
The stunning new Kimi-ākau Bridge on the yet to be completed Shotover Gorge Trail has now been fully funded by the Queenstown Lakes community.
More than $965,000 has been raised by philanthropists, trail lovers and local businesses says Queenstown Trails chair Michael Walker.
"We’re extremely grateful to all our funders large and small, but special acknowledgment must go to Rod Drury, who contributed $400,000 and the Alterno Foundation and SR McLaren Family Trust that each gave $200,000," he says.
"This generosity has allowed construction of what will become an icon of the Queenstown Trail -A must visit highlight of the trail network."
The 110 Trail Lovers that each sponsored a plank also collectively contributed $165,000 as part of a challenge laid down by long-term trail supporters Julian and Lizanne Knights.
“It’s been a fantastic community effort.” Walker says.
Queenstown trails CEO Mark ‘Willy’ Williams says work on the new Shotover Gorge Trail that connects Arthurs Point to Frankton is good making progress, with the 90m suspension bridge at Tucker Beach recently completed (but not yet open).
"The new bridge affords stunning views over the dramatic Shotover River and forms a critical part of the second stage of the trail expansion project, linking the northern side of the Whakatipu Basin to the wider Queenstown Trails network," Willy says.
“The response from our community is recognition of what these trails mean to the people who live here and those that come to visit. These donations have enabled a lasting legacy to the next generations of Trail Lovers in the area."
Works on the Shotover Gorge Trail are expected to be completed in early 2025, including the restoration of the ‘Hugo Tunnel’ at Big Beach funded by the Hugo Charitable Trust.
