Media Release from Millbrook Resort

April 30 2009

Walking track gets five-star ‘thumbs up’

A 3km walking and cycling track meandering through the grounds of Queenstown’s five-star Millbrook Resort was officially ‘christened’ over Easter by hundreds of keen cyclists.

The track forms one of the final ‘missing links’ for an historic Wakatipu Trail connecting Queenstown and Arrowtown.

While cyclists in the Tour de Wakatipu were among the first to test out part of the track, it was officially opened this week by chairman of the Wakatipu Trails Trust and Millbrook member Terry Stevens and new Trails Trust CEO Kaye Parker, with Arrowtown councillor and past Trails Trust chairman John Wilson by their side.

Millbrook Resort has completed construction of a walking trail to link the Wakatipu Trails Trust network connecting Queenstown and Arrowtown.

Coming from Arrowtown, an existing track along Manse Road leads walkers to the new Millbrook section of the track. From here it skirts behind the new Millbrook driving range and then alongside The Avenue, resplendent with 150-year-old oaks and elms, to Millbrook Village Centre where walkers can stop for coffee or lunch or push on to Lake Hayes.

From the resort centre the trail meanders alongside Mill Stream and through copses of trees before heading south, crossing between the third and fourth and seventh and eighth holes of the new Coronet Nine golf course before leaving Millbrook. From there a new trail leads down to Speargrass Flat Road and along Rutherford Road to the popular Lakes Hayes Loop Track.

“It’s a spectacular track, that starts -- or finishes-- off at a great vantage point that looks towards Lake Hayes and The Remarkables mountain range beyond, and with great vistas over the new golf course,” said Millbrook Property Development Manager Ben O’Malley.

Mr O’Malley said Millbrook had worked closely with the Queenstown Lakes District Council to integrate the track into the resort’s master planning, and the two parties had negotiated a stakeholders’ deed as a result of which Millbrook will also vest 3.14ha of its land to the council and the community for recreational use.

“That land, known as the ‘Arrowtown Corner’, is capable of taking a rugby field and a cricket field with all the parking required, which will endow the Arrowtown community with additional reserve land.”

Millbrook Marketing Director Kim Carpenter said the new track would appeal to visitors and members who wanted to see more outdoor recreation options available at the resort.

“It’s a very important element of what Millbrook has to offer.  Allowing access to the hiking trails at Millbrook will be ideal for locals, visitors and guests of the resort to see a portion of Millbrook that they’ve never seen before. 

Mr Carpenter said track users were encouraged to park near the Millbrook village centre where they could choose to link to the popular Lake Hayes track, on a Millbrook via Lake Hayes return trip of around 16kms.

“That’s an easy half day walk or an excellent mountain bike training ride,” he said. “If they want a shorter walk or bike, it’s a 5-km round trip to Arrowtown and back.”

Mr Carpenter said a 20-strong group of Millbrook members, known as the Millbrook Hikers, was looking forward to regular use of the track. “In a members and guests survey a year ago, good walking tracks polled highly in the Millbrook activities ‘wish list’.”

Wakatipu Trails Trust chairman Terry Stevens said it was dedicated to establishing a world class network of trails in the Wakatipu. 

“This trail from Queenstown to Arrowtown is one of our top two priorities and the Millbrook link is critical to the completion of the entire trail,” he said.

“It’s a particularly important link because it’s accessible to a broad range of users, both individuals and families, and takes them on a unique journey around a beautiful new golf course.  Recently a young family of four started from Millbrook and biked to Lake Hayes, where they had a picnic lunch before returning, a great Sunday family outing where they could get some valuable exercise while enjoying safe and easily accessible trails. 

“The new Millbrook link is a wonderful opportunity for locals and visitors to experience the best that the Wakatipu has to offer.”

Arrowtown councillor and former Trails Trust chairman John Wilson said the “wonderful track” would eventually form part of the Te Araroa Trail running the length of New Zealand from North Cape to Bluff.

He said all credit should go to QLDC General Manager community Services Paul Wilson for working with Millbrook to make the track a reality. Mr Wilson described the track through Millbrook as a “key link” in the Wakatipu Trail from Arrowtown to Queenstown. “It’s now possible to walk or bike from Arrowtown to Queenstown with 70% of that 21km journey being off-road,” he said.

ends

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