The milestone was recognised at a lunch ceremony at Lake Ohau Lodge.
This is the same place a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held a decade ago to mark the completion of the trail’s first full section.
Current committee members were joined by the original committee members.
The Alps 2 Ocean is New Zealand’s longest cycle trail, stretching more than 300km and providing outstanding views as cyclists traverse from Aoraki/Mount Cook to the Pacific Ocean at Ōamaru.
Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail manager Robyn Hyde said it was a great opportunity to thank the pioneers of the trail.
The story of the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail began in February 2009 when former prime minister Sir John Key pitched for a cycleway from Cape Reinga to Bluff.
This was followed by the idea to create a series of regional trails and the national cycleway project.
The result was the development of the "Alps 2 Ocean" concept based on a 300km trail from Aoraki/Mt Cook to Ōamaru.
In 2010, the concept plan and the feasibility study grant were approved, and the first 1.3km section of the trail opened from the historic precinct in Ōamaru’s Harbour St to the penguin colony at Ōamaru Harbour.
The 10-year commemoration celebrated the completion of the first full section of the trail, between Ohau Lodge and Ōmārama through Quailburn Station, Ms Hyde said.
"The lunch was to thank the original group, who had the guts to get the funding and follow through with [the development of] the trail," she said.
The anniversary date aligns with the first ribbon-cutting ceremony in 2013 that recognised the completion of that part of the track.
The luncheon — for a group of about 25 people — recognised the input of three groups of people: the visionaries of the trail, the original joint committee members from both the Waitaki District Council and the Mackenzie District Council and the current joint committee.
She said over the years communities along the trail had also benefited from the development of the trail with businesses making the most of the steady stream of cyclists by either starting up something new, or expanding what they were already doing.
Even trail related tourist retail sales have spread.
Between 2011 and 2021, different sections of Alps 2 Ocean were developed, starting with the Lake Pukaki station, followed by Tasman Point to Jollie River, Pukaki Flats, Aoraki, Lake Ōhau, Ōhau to Quailburn, Ōmārama to Sailors Cutting, Kurow to Duntroon, Duntroon to Ōamaru, Lake Tekapo to Tekapo B alternative route, Sailors Cutting to Benmore, Aviemore Waitaki Village and Awakino River to Kurow.
To date, 195km of the trail has been constructed, including multiple boardwalks and bridges to support accessibility.
The collaboration between so many groups was what helped make the trail such a success, particularly the collaboration between landowners and the project team, Ms Hyde said.
"The continued partnership and support from landowners, businesses and the communities make the Alps 2 Ocean such a wonderful community asset and experience for users."
The first chairman of the Alps 2 Ocean joint committee, Mike Neilson, said he was proud of the trail’s success.
"This was truly innovative, to offer the longest trail, downhill, usually a tail wind and giving its riders for five days the pleasure of the wide-sky landscape of the Mackenzie Basin, Waitaki and Waiareka Valleys and, very importantly, giving a five-day-and-night expenditure boost to the districts’ economies."
So what does the future hold for the trail? The planning and consents have been completed for a further 23km of trail on the eastern shore of Lake Pukaki and the section will be built once the funding is sourced. Further funding of $16 million is required to complete the original vision of a fully off-road trail.
