Location: The Woolshed, Stratton St, Normandale, Lower Hutt, 7:30 pm
Present
Marco Renall, Matt Clarke, Craig McGinnity, Paul Scoble, Angus Cotton, Ron Hadfield, Rob Lancaster, Wayne Bones (GWRC), Jeremy Patterson (GWRC), Gordon MacDonald (HVMTB), Michael Wood (Orienteering HV).
Apologies
Tyrone McGrath
General Business
Wayne from GWRC made mention that at present GWRC is not able to assist with funding for supply of refreshments at working bees etc. Wayne did however mention that whilst GWRC are not saying an outright NO, the present issue is one of where does the funding come from to cover it. GWRC will look at this in the future in more depth and will advise of any outcomes or changes then.
Possible track ideas / plan
A good amount of ideas were tabled by those who were present. These are mentioned below in no particular order. Note I have however placed both the presidents and vice presidents ideas at the start. It needs to be made clear that these are just ideas and the committee will need to again go over them all and have a consensus as to what is viable and what is more suitable for the park in the future.
Short Term (1-2 years)
- Complete Bull Run.
- Bulls view loop – (or use the gas line track where gorse has already been cleared as a short connector from pylon down to Bull-a-Varde and possibly name it “NAKED FLAMEâ€).
- Tidy up Sweet acres track to improve as more suitable uphill ride ability.
- Reopening of Big Weta.
- Construct a top for Big Weta – matching up with similar style and grade using Danzig /off camber/ slide ridge face.
- Grade 2 track– to run downhill top to bottom. Start would looped with GWRC new Danzig uphill only track (using old choppers area). Build as a cross between snail trails @ WTP and North face @ Makara.
- Lower loop style maze – From Wool shed area up to Big Weta bridge with multi ways and grades down (good summer project).
- Grade 4 in bush area beside (east) of last sun.
Medium Term (2-4 years)
- Further development of old pine, Aim towards grade 4+.
- Middle ridge single track finishing behind trig lagoon.
 Long Term (4-5 years)
- Multi use track from Korokoro dam to bottom of trig, bidirectional.
- 10 minute grade 4 epic track running from trig to stream. Built similar to Rainbow Mountain. (Good mix of tech and digger built flow!).
- Speedy’s creek – multi use track running hill road car park to Kelson lights.(Apparently some section already exists also).
- Grade 3 MTB track from Maungaraki reservoir to Korokoro dam.
Other ideas tabled
- Mana Cycle Group – Re Entrance / key connection Belmont hill road (Pauatahanui side)
- Upper Korokoro catchment area. Single track, two way? grade 2/3. Old coach road around to middle ridge area.
(NB: Ranger advised 1st farm block in upper Korokoro area to be retired from farming ASAP. 2nd block, Turbys gorge retired in 2016.) - Wetland style loop off Middle Ridge.
- Dry creek (Waterfall area) large basin for various tracks.
- link Speedy’s creek to Dry creek.
- Track off Sweet acres to Taupo rock then following back west around ridge to link at Bull a Varde.
Next Meeting
TBA
Meeting closed : 9.45pm
Paul Scoble,
Secretary, BAMBA
Complete Bull Run including weeding the top section.
Widen hairpin corners at start of Bull-A-Varde.
Build Bull View uphill and clean up Naked Flame downhill.
Build new trails in Danzig depending on GW plans.
I think the GW Danzig replacement on the north side will be too exposed to the wind. Rebuild it where it is now. If a DH trail crosses it, flatten it out and open the sight lines for the crossing.
Concerning long term suggestions. FYI, The old colonial road running from Hill rd carpark to the bottom of Kelson is a registered archeological site, along with other historic sites in Speedy’s reserve. the stream name is the “Belmont Stream”. Speedy’s stream is the stream further north heading towards Boulder Hill. Cheers.
I think that the Speedys Track shown on tracks.org.nz is correct. We will start referring to the Kelson to Hill Road as Belmont Stream or Old Colonial Road. Thanks.