The 315ha wetland and bird habitat near Waihola has had only walking tracks until now.
Wetlands co-ordinator Glen Riley said the concept of a wooden boardwalk "has been in the mind of the wetlands for quite some time".
Oil and gas company Anadarko gave money to the Wetlands Trust for construction of a boardwalk more than five years ago. The trust did not need to obtain resource consent for the walkway, as it was at a "regionally significant wetland". Building it was a combined project between trust members and community volunteers.
Mr Riley said the purpose of the boardwalk was to get people off the track and "really engaged" with the wetlands without leaving an impact on the environment.
"It will capture people’s interest and get them to places that they can’t visit otherwise,’" he said.
There were plans for at least another five similar boardwalks.
Long-term, Mr Riley would like to see an extended loop track right through the wetlands. Trust chairman Ian Bryant spent a considerable time volunteering his own labour on the boardwalk. Mr Bryant said the trust did not want to impinge on the natural environment so set about building the structure without the help of machinery. The 110m long boardwalk cost about $11,000 which included volunteer labour.
