Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park

In 1998 the Wellington City Council set aside 200 hectares of retired farmland in Karori southwest of Wellington, New Zealand, for a mountain bike park. Development of the Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park began almost immediately with volunteer work parties planting trees, removing pest animals and digging new tracks.

Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park
Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park summit
TypeMountain bike park, Recreation reserve
LocationWellington, New Zealand
Coordinates41.296946°S 174.722241°E / -41.296946; 174.722241
Area250 hectares (620 acres)
Created1998 (1998)
Operated byMakara Peak Mountain Bike Park Supporters Incorporated and Wellington City Council
Open24 hours a day, all year around.
Websitewww.makarapeak.org

By 2014 the park had grown to 250 hectares with over 40 kilometres of hand-built single track and over 35,000 native seedlings planted. Pests such as goats, sheep, and possums had been dramatically reduced with volunteers maintaining possum traps and bait stations and mustelid traps, allowing new vegetation to flourish.

The park is free to use and open to both cyclists and pedestrians. Approximately 30% of its users are pedestrians.

The Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park was visited by 8% of the Wellington population in 2003 according to research carried out by the Wellington City Council. It has received a recreation award from the New Zealand Recreation Association and two conservation awards from the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

The park is jointly managed by the Wellington City Council and Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park Supporters Inc.[1]

A swing bridge was added to the mountain bike park in 2017 after a successful donation campaign raised over $35,000.[2][3]

Swing Bridge on Upswing track of the Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park

References
  1. "Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park". Wellington City Council. Retrieved 2020-04-11.
  2. "Makara Peak accessible to all with completion of new Upswing track"
  3. "Makara Peak Suspension Bridge Donation Page"

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