The Queenstown Trail is among southern cycle trails getting government funding to help with trail maintenance.
Announced by Prime Minister and Tourism Minister John Key last Friday, the recipients were the Queenstown Trail ($300,000), Tourism Waitaki's Alps 2 Ocean ($106,250) and the Central Otago Clutha Trails Trust ($62,065 for the Roxburgh Gorge and Clutha Gold Trails).
The funding is part of a $1.2million national investment in seven projects related to the New Zealand Cycle Trail.
Queenstown Trails Trust chief executive Mandy Kennedy said the money would be used for maintenance and upgrade work, including additional culverts, resurfacing and signage.
"It's great news. We're delighted,'' Mrs Kennedy said.
"There are parts of the trail that do need maintenance or upgrading to take them up to the next level.''
The work will take place over winter and spring.
The funding is the fourth round of Maintaining the Quality of the Great Rides Fund and priority is given to proposals which aim to improve the safety and quality of New Zealand's Great Rides.
It is the Queenstown Trails Trust's biggest grant from the contestable fund.
In the three previous funding rounds it received grants totalling $272,000 for various work, including repairing storm damage and upgrading the Kelvin Peninsula section.
Tourism Waitaki general manager Jason Gaskill said the Friday announcement of the $106,250 dollar-for-dollar funding capped off a "pretty good week for Alps 2 Ocean''.
That followed last Wednesday's announcement of a $100,000 donation from the Otago Community Trust to move the section of trail between Duntroon and Oamaru off-road.
It was the second time the 301km trail had received the grant for "special one-off projects'' from the fund.
Mr Gaskill would not go into detail about how the money would be spent but said it was earmarked for "a series of projects that will assist in improving rider experience along the trail''.
In a statement, Mr Key said the Great Rides were used by thousands of people daily and had provided a "significant boost'' to New Zealand tourism, attracting more than a million users in 2015.
Regional communities were seeing increased visitor numbers and local economies were experiencing positive spinoffs as a result.
"In 2014, the Government set aside $8million over four years to ensure the Great Rides are maintained to their current world-class standards.
"To date, $3.2million has been allocated to 37 projects across 18 Great Rides.
"This funding will help ensure visitors can continue soaking up New Zealand's beautiful scenery in a safe and enjoyable way,'' Mr Key said.
Other cycle trail projects to receive funding were the Whanganui District Council's Mountains to Sea trail (Manawatu-Wanganui), which received $300,000; the Mokihinui-Lyell Backcountry Trust's Old Ghost Road (West Coast), which received $49,818; and the Tasman District Council's Tasman Great Taste Trail, which received grants of $223,481 and $168,210.
The funding was additional to the Budget 2016 announcement of a further $25million over four years to extend and link different sections of the New Zealand Cycle Trail.
That includes the creation of a 536km continuous trail network by linking the Queenstown Trail, the Otago Central Rail Trail, the Roxburgh Gorge Trail and the Clutha Gold Trail.
The Government agreed in principle to support the collaboration between the Central Lakes Trust and Otago Community Trust with funding of about $13million for the project, subject to application requirements being met.
