Trails Wellington: From Fracture to Force

By Anthony Edmonds, Co-Founding Trustee and Former Chair, Trails Wellington

Let’s be honest: Wellington’s mountain biking scene used to be a mess.

Incredible trail builders? Yes.
A world-class environment? Absolutely.
Cohesion? Unity? Influence? No.

That’s the reality I stepped into when I first tried to give back to the city that raised my family and ignited my love of mountain biking.

The Problem: A Broken System Hiding in Plain Sight

Back in 2016, I could see the potential. Wellington could be a mountain biking Mecca - a ski town without snow, where people ride world-class trails before work and after school. And the trails were already there. Built by passionate volunteers. Maintained with aroha. But divided.

Each area had its own crew—Brooklyn, Mount Vic, Mākara Peak, Tawa, Matarangi. All legends in their own right. But isolated. Fragmented. Sometimes even competitive. And when I talked to the Council? They didn’t unite anyone. They used that fragmentation as a reason to do nothing.

It’s the classic bureaucratic dance:

“We’d love to help, but Stakeholder X wants this and Group Y wants that… so we’ll just... consult.”
Consultation became paralysis. No leadership. No progress.

So We Created Trails Wellington

Together with Matt Farrar, we asked: What if this wasn’t a funding issue or a land access issue - but a community issue? What if we built something that created community membership, money, and momentum?

That was the beginning of Trails Wellington. We weren’t trying to replace anyone. We were trying to connect everyone, and give the community a real voice - something powerful enough that the Council couldn’t ignore it.

But when we approached existing groups, many wanted nothing to do with it. They were comfortable in their corners. The fractured status quo worked for them.

So we hit brick walls. Until one Zoom call changed everything.

The Game Changer: One Call. One Million Dollars. One United Community.

That call was with Rod Drury. I told him how hard it was to get alignment. He didn’t flinch. He just said, “Get everyone on a call.”

So we did.

Rod dropped a bombshell: his family would donate $1 million to Trails Wellington. The catch? We needed to work together.

Eight seconds later, we had unity. A million dollars will do that - but it wasn’t just about the money. It was a signal. A line in the dirt. We’re doing this. Together.

Rod and his brother Geoff didn’t just write cheques—they rolled up sleeves, asked the hard questions, and backed us every step of the way.

What Happened Next? We Got Sh*t Done.

Since then, the mountain biking community has achieved what once seemed impossible:

• We got a master plan over the line for Mākara. We forced the Council to appoint a ranger at Mākara, when they tried to quietly skip it.
  
  
• We secured Council approval for Ikigai, after mobilising 900+ supporters.
  
  
• We helped deliver the stunning Pōhatu trail at Mākara Peak.
  
  
• We helped Matarangi rebuild Park Bench and we built Te Tuarā on Mount Vic. after getting it approved.
  
  
• We backed the Tawa trail build with extra dosh for local volunteers.
  
  
• We grew Trails Wellington membership to over 3,000 people.
  
  
• We completed multiple other projects, plans, builds, rebuilds and lots and lots of advocacy.
• Meanwhile, behind the scenes, unsung volly heroes - like the Karitane Jump crew - just kept showing up and making magic happen.
  
  

And through all this, we proved one thing: when united, this community is unstoppable.

What’s Still in Front of Us?

We’ve got a fully designed off-road commuter network - crafted by the same minds behind the Paparoa Great Walk. You could ride from Island Bay to the CBD through native bush, with views over the harbour.

It’s not a dream. It’s designed. It’s ready.
And the Council? Still locked in their favourite mode:

“Taking into account different stakeholders’ perspectives.”
Translation: Doing bugger all.

We need to push.

What Now? A Call to the Community

If we want more trails, more access, more funding, more say - we need to act as one community. Not as 10 groups fighting over scraps. Not as lone volunteers burning out. As one voice, with one mission.

This isn’t just about trails. It’s about culture.
It’s about showing what’s possible when mountain bikers, trail builders, businesses, and supporters work together.

The danger now is regression, back to splinters, silos, and stagnation.

But the opportunity? That’s massive.

We can be the most connected, empowered, progressive mountain biking city on earth.

We just have to choose it.

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