The Naseby Summer Luge officially opens this morning, capping off what has been a community labour of love.
The German-made luge, which once carried thrill-seekers down Coronet Peak over summer, was donated by Tonnie and Erna Spijkerbosch, with additional funding from David and Jennie Proctor in 2015.
Construction of the luge started in 2019 with a team of volunteers supplying the labour, Maniototo Adventure Park Charitable Trust chairman Dave Brady said.
The summer luge complements the Naseby ice luge — the only ice luge in the southern hemisphere — which sees 500 sledders take to the track each year.
The opening coincides with the inauguration of the Maniototo Adventure Park, marking the official merger of Naseby Ice Rink, Naseby Curling Rink and Naseby Ice Luge into a single governance and operation structure.
"They’ve been operating independently of each other since the ice rink opened in 1992," Mr Brady said.
"As time has gone on we have identified the opportunity to bring them together just to offer some economies of scale and allow us to put packages of activities together that we haven’t always been able to do in the past.
"We are pretty lucky to have such amazing facilities in Central Otago and on the Maniototo," he said.
The opening of the summer luge will take place at 11am, with VIP riders having a ride, followed by the inauguration of the Maniototo Adventure Park.
"[It’s] a day of fun and celebration ... and acknowledging all the hard work that the ice rink and indoor curling rink and ice luge have done over the years, just marking what they have done, celebrating them and looking to the future," Mr Brady said.
