On Saturday a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the new 48m-long Buckler Burn Hugo Bridge, which is part of the Buckler Burn Trail, connecting the township to the Whakaari Conservation Area.
Hugo Charitable Trust granted $175,000 towards the suspension bridge, which provides safer passage over the Buckler Burn, with other funding from NZ Lotteries, Central Lakes Trust, Community Trust South, Alexander McMillan Trust, Glenorchy Community Trust, the Queenstown Lakes District Council and individual donors.
Trails trust chairman Steve Hewland said the trail design was done by Southern Civil, M3 Contracting handled construction and the bridge was built by Abseil Access — combined, the project reflected Glenorchy’s values of resilience, sustainability and manaakitanga.
Interpretive panels, developed in collaboration with the Glenorchy Museum and Kat Bulk, with support from Queenstown Trails Trust, will be installed near the bridge to tell the story of the place, from early Maori presence to modern-day trail development.
The trust is already planning its next project in conjunction with the Queenstown Trails Trust, Queenstown Mountain Bike Club, Southern Eco Trails Trust and Te Araroa — a 50km trail linking Queenstown and Glenorchy.
The alliance is working on technical studies and funding for the trail, estimated to cost about $15million, which has been part of the trust’s vision since it was established in 2017.
