The Trail Idea

The concept of Te Tuarā came from a desire to build a world-class flow and jump trail in Wellington. Best case scenario: close to the city centre. Close to people. Close to us. 

Influenced by multiple riding trips to other parts of NZ, including Rotorua, Nelson and Queenstown, it was difficult not to draw a meaningful conclusion. The popularity and skill level of riding were exploding in other areas, partly due to the rise of the flow-jump trail. Trails with multiple jumps, one after the other. However, a trail like this didn’t exist in Wellington. The riding community had come to understand that this style of track was not only popular with riders, but it was integral to skill development, rider progression, and having just plain raw fun - a key factor in attracting more people to our sport. Wellington not having something of this ilk in its repertoire was a shortcoming that needed addressing. Think Te Ara Rere o Koata in Nelson, and McNearly McGnarly in Queenstown’s Wynyard area; still an insanely fun trail with in excess of 50 tabletop jumps. This trail and others like it were an inspiration for something similar, something special in Wellington.

The origin of the idea for the trail is hard to pinpoint. Rod Bardsley, who was actively involved in developing some of the early Mt Vic trails (now Matarangi), recalls talking with WCC’s David Halliday in the 00’s about building something. However, it never eventuated. Another person who saw the potential was Wellington’s own World Cup professional racer, Bryn Dickerson. He’d also been thinking about this area for years and in 2020, during the COVID lockdown, developed a scope for a trail, which was what started discussions with people in WCC. Again, the difficulty of getting something as new and ambitious as this translated into slow progress it was clear that the idea of a trail in this area had great potential.

What we did know, if successful, was that this trail would be a clear point of difference from other biking cities and towns. It would help attract active people to Wellington, people who wanted to have a professional life, whilst enjoying a premier outdoor lifestyle.

Momentum for our own world-class flow and jump trail was building. 

Funding

A key part of TW successfully securing the $1m funding from the Drury family was to address this shortcoming and create such a trail in Wellington. Why? To add a style of trail that was missing and help fuel a growth in riding in our city. We wanted such a trail to be accessible to riders. Matarangi / Mt Vic was a popular candidate with easy access from the CBD and also being WORD's home turf,. If such a trail were there, WORD would be able to incorporate it into its programmes, and riders could enjoy it on the way to work, on their way home, or even during their lunch break. However, a challenging task to get approval for a trail in this area.

It was this alignment of passion backed by serious investment by the Drury family that kick-started, in earnest, the process of getting this trail built. Work started on getting landowner consent (WCC), a key requirement for such an ambitious, iconic project. 

Council Support & Approval

The process to get the approval for this trail meant WCC needed to be happy with the design and then undertake significant consultation with the public. Matairangi has many different users of its trails, and there are a number of organisations that do not want more mountain bike trails in Matairangi. The support of WCC officers was critical throughout this public consultation process.  The next step was for the Councillors to consider this proposal and for members of the public to be allowed to address them at their monthly meeting.  Trails Wellington rallied our trails community and over 1,000 positive submissions were made relative to a very small number opposing the trail.  Trails Wellington met with many of the Councillors before the meeting, explaining the benefits and addressing their concerns.  If Trails Wellington had not agreed to fully fund this trail Councillor support would not have been given.  In the end Councillors voted unanimously to support this initiative (unusual for any decision the Council makes and a first for a trail proposal.  This process was also completed in 12 months, significantly faster than any trail request made before it.

Track design

The origins of the location on the Hataitai side of Alexandra Road are a little sketchy to unearth. There’s no argument that many of the long-time Mt Victoria riders often eyed up the area as an under-utilised and unloved part of the hill. Increasingly overrun with scrub, exotic flora and tipped rubbish, thrown in. Bryn had the idea of a line from the top of Mt Vic to the old skills park and dog walking area at the southern end. Jeff Carter from Southstar Trails was contracted to flag an initial line that could work. This involved a significant amount of bush bashing to mark the elevations and gradients within the contours of the terrain. 

Jeff’s initial line utilised one of the benched terrace sections, however this was fraught with issues. The big drop to the side would require about 40+ meters of handrail on a treacherous narrow strip and was far from ideal. One of the biggest issues with the plan was the velodrome. There are terraced cuts that were made, back in the day for the formation of the velodrome’s flat area. They must deal with the very steep terrain, erosion prevention, etc. If you look up from below, or down from above, you’ll see just how dramatically the land falls away.

To build a world-class trail, we thought we’d benefit from input from some of the world's best trail builders. We wanted to leverage off the expertise that had gone into building McNearly Gnarly and a number of other iconic Central Otago trails and engaged Queenstown Trail Builder Keplar Rek of Dirt Design

It was during the ecological impact assessment with Stu Farrant, that a fortuitous discussion happened and a new idea formed. We could stay high, avoid the cliff and therefore not have to fight for elevation further along the trail. You’ll likely have noted a small uphill section on Stage 2, with the built up bank immediately afterwards to keep riders away from the cliff. This is a result of that new idea. Another upside of this line change meant the trail was higher at this point of the hill and allowed it to be directed through the more favourable topography, as you see in Stage 3.

Buoyed by the consensus of so many respected, talented people, we pushed ahead. It was this line that was used throughout the entire consenting process. A victory for collaboration. 

Starting the build

The project's working title was Pyramid Scheme, based on the pyramid-shaped Richard Byrd Memorial near the lookout. 

Now the search started for a suitable builder.  We had a problem, Kep who we’d been working with was busy, having won the contract for Skyline Queenstown’s maintenance. In what turned out to be a serendipitous moment, local hero Andrew McFaddon, from Total Trail Solutions (TTS) put his hand up. Andrew had already been involved in some of our trail rebuilds, such as Saddle Jumps, Water Tower, Con Air and Park Bench to name a few and knew the lay of the land. His proposal included teaming up with Dan August from BTR Trails for added capacity. 

We expected lots of learning to be part of the project. So naturally we loved that by going with Andrew (TTS) and Dan (BTR), we were investing in our local community and helping build greater depth, experience and expertise. 

There were also some real benefits in having a local company build this trail. The build would be months in duration. The knowledge and connection to this trail of this team of locals meant that any storm damage or early maintenance could be done by the trail builders themselves.

Things were starting to stack up. Adding to their building capabilities, we also sought the expertise of Bryn Dickerson to consult with the team on designing features, drawing from his extensive worldwide MTB experience. 

So with the team in place, a consent in our pocket, and money in the bank, ground was broken for Stage 1. As the calendar flicked over to Feb, 2023, the dream of Te Tuarā-O-Matairangi took physical form. 

Building Stage One

Of all the three stages, Stage 1 was the trickiest. A severe cross slope and benching through the fill layer, tipped over from when Alexandra Road was built, was challenging. They needed to dig through this layer to the firm clay below, and where this was not possible, clay had to be brought in. Much of this was from a townhouse development on Awa Road.

One important thing to note and warrant explanation is the deep troughs that build up to the jumps, making the jump faces look quite big. Typically, on a build where the trail can weave in and out with switchbacks and berms, designers and builders use these features to moderate speed sections to reduce the need for braking. Skidding causes damage to the trail surface, starts ruts, and increases the need for and cost of regular maintenance.

With Stage 1 there was not the luxury of the width needed to create switchbacks etc. This was due to the narrow corridor and steep cross slope. The way this was dealt with was by digging down so that the upslope of the jumps regulated rider speed. However, it did make the jumps look massive to some (for the time). Now, though, riders are more used to this style of lip as they’ve become more accustomed to well-built tabletop features to develop their skills.

Meanwhile, away from the diggers and shovels, lots of mahi continued in the background. WCC and our rider community were kept up to date on progress. Quintin led a team to come up with a name for the trail. After herding cats for some months, consulting with key stakeholders including local iwi, council, trail builders and riders, a name fitting for this dream was found. 

Trail Name & Opening

Te Tuarā translates as "the spine of Matairangi" and is a newer style flow trail. It is designed to appeal to riders of all abilities and can be ridden without pedalling. Trail features are designed to be fun and provide riders who want to progress and develop their skills in a safe, progressive trail area.

Stage 1 was officially opened with a naming ceremony on Saturday, 16 September 2023 by Deputy Mayor, Sarah Free and blessed by Peter Jackson, from Taranaki Whanui. Te Tuarā o Matairangi (the spine of the taniwha) was born.

The legend that inspired the Trail name

"Te Tuarā o Matairangi" translates to English as "the spine of Matairangi" and refers to the legend of Ngake and Whātaitai, two taniwha significant to mana whenua Taranaki Whānui. 

The taniwha Ngake and Whātaitai lived in Wellington Harbour, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, when it was a lake cut off from the sea.

The legend says that as the two taniwha grew bigger, and the boundaries of their lake seemed to grow smaller. Ngake was adamant he had outgrown his home and soon convinced Whātaitai that they needed to break free from the lake that imprisoned them.

Ngake crossed to the north side of the lake and coiled his tail into a huge spring shape. He focused his sights on the cliffs to the south and suddenly let his tail go. With a mighty roar Ngake was thrust across the lake up over the shore and smashed into the cliff face.

Ngake hit the cliffs with such force that he shattered them into huge hunks of rock and earth, effectively creating a pathway through to Te Moana o Raukawa (Cook Strait). Ngake, cut and bruised, slipped into the sea, finally free to explore as he had dreamed.

Whātaitai was shocked at the devastation that Ngake had caused, but also glad that his brother had safely made it to the other side. Whātaitai knew he would have to follow.

As Whātaitai entered the gap forged by Ngake he didn't realise the tide was out. His stomach dragged on the ground, eventually slowing him to a stop. Whātaitai was stranded, stuck between the sea and the lake, desperately lashing his tail and trying to move, but to no avail.

One morning there was a dreadful shudder beneath the ocean floor. A huge earthquake erupted. Whātaitai was lifted out of the shallow water and high above sea level. Whātaitai could do nothing, he was stranded high above the water and he knew his life would end. Whātaitai bade farewell to his many bird friends and animals and soon after gasped his final breath.

As he died, Whātaitai's spirit transformed into a bird, Te Keo, and flew to the closest mountain, Matairangi (Mount Victoria). Te Keo looked down on the huge taniwha body that stretched across the raised sea bed and cried. She cried for the great friendships Whātaitai had made, shown by the huge numbers of birds and sea life that had gathered around, and for the freedom of the sea which Whātaitai would never experience. When Te Keo had completed her lament, she bade farewell to Whātaitai, then set off to the taniwha spirit world.

Over the years Whātaitai's body turned to stone, earth and rock and is known to this day as Haitaitai. Matairangi still looks down on the body of Whātaitai and the very top of Matairangi is still known as Tangi te Keo.

Te Tuarā o Matairangi represents Whātaitai's backbone and will become the spine of the Matairangi Trail network, with mokopuna trails feeding off to the East towards Motukairangi and the to West towards Te Ahumairangi and the Wellington CBD.

Stage Two

Stage 2 construction commenced the following month in October 2023. With the first stage open and becoming very popular, there was feedback received about it being at the top end of grade 3, by the old guidelines, but actually grade 4, by the new ones. Stage 2 was therefore designed to be an easier grade 3 and several of the table tops were redone to meet the new guidelines. We enticed Mat Wright from WORD onto the team to help oversee construction. His lens focused on accommodating a wider range of rider skills.

This section was a much quicker build, given the topography of the area being more friendly to diggers. There was also good clay just under the topsoil so no further dirt needed to be brought in. Completion was just a few months on.

After a few fun afternoons of testing with members of WORD and Revolve (Women's Cycling), Stage II of the trail was deemed ready and opened in February 2024.

Te Taura was designed to assist progression and expression, elements that many thought were the missing magic from Wellington riding. With the first two stages done and open, it was clear this trail was a hit. Having multiple jumps, rollers and other features within the same trail was attracting riders. Riders came from near and far to check it out. Our trail counters buried in the ground were clocking silly numbers. We loved it. That’s what we wanted. People getting out, people riding the trail.

As with any area on this hill getting heavy use, Matairangi Trail Builders were active. Sweeping, clearing drains, packing berms and generally being awesome. These guys do serious mahi. Aroha and Respect.

Another upside of the trail was having access to the area below the road. Work to clear the insidious piles of rubbish, discarded by passersby over the decades, started. Matairangi Trail Builders collected many fadges of rubbish (plus other interesting items), from the surrounding bush that prior to the trail, couldn’t be cleared due to pre-trail access issues. 

Another big deal was - of course - planting native trees along the trail corridor. 5,000 native trees were planned as part of the project and at the time of writing, 2,500 have been planted (with more to come). Whilst not obvious today, in years to come they’ll grow into an amazing canopy above the tail.

This is one of the great, often unsung benefits of our developing trail network. It provides access for activities focused on environmental sustainability like trapping and planting to flourish. In short, this new trail was enabling Matairangi to receive the aroha she deserves.

Stage Three

The third and final stage broke ground in May 2024. Starting opposite the SPCA, it was projected to run to the skills area where Trevor exits. Andrew and Dan made quick work once again of the first half as we sought permission to build a riding bridge over the Newtown to Hataitai Walkway. Riders may recall that at the time, the build was paused for several months while TW contracted Frame Group to design a bridge specifically for riding over. The intention was for it to be cambered slightly, have a wall ride option and the ability to either ride or jump off the end back onto the trail. At the time of writing, that still is the plan; however, structures need to go through the consent process, where it currently sits. There’s a separate write-up about just that. 

The decision was made to make a temporary crossing that would allow the trail to progress. The crossing would incorporate corral fencing to slow riders and avoid trail conflict with other users, especially walkers. If you ever wondered why the approach to the crossing/ bridge area and the area after it is a little dull, that’s because the bridge will likely add the opportunity for an additional feature or two. Keep an eye out for the proposed bridge and revised progressive skills area in 2026.

One interesting feature is that the first of the large berms near the end is the only time through the entire length of the trail that it turns back on itself. So, after nearly 1.8km of track, we have a switchback in the last 20 meters. 

We were determined to be able to ride the trail top to bottom by Christmas 2024. The builders put in a huge effort to get this done. Favourable weather at the time certainly helped too.

December 2024 saw a festive opening of the third and final stage. The trail opened to a monster truck shuttle day hosted by Matairangi Trail Builders. A few local legends offered to use their own vehicles to shuttle riders. The most popular “shuttle” by some margin, was Bubbles’ Lincoln Continental with a North Shore rack.

Closing thoughts

Reflecting back on this project, which in some ways spans 20 years, brings out some great themes. There was a shared dream of a possibility of something new, something so accessible from the CBD. It was another step forward in the renaissance of Wellington and its Mt Biking scene.

So many people, so much passion, challenges to overcome, a few missteps, but lots of working together to create something special. Something that all of Wellington can cherish from today, and for the future. Taonga that we created together.

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