Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park
Encyclopedia
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 and digging new tracks.
By 2011 over 30 kilometres of hand-built single track had been built and over 30,000 native seedlings planted. Pests such as goat
s, sheep, and possum
s had been dramatically reduced allowing new vegetation to flourish.
The park is free to use and open to both cyclists and pedestrian
s. 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.
Karori
Karori is a suburb located at the western edge of the urban area of Wellington, New Zealand, some 4 km from the city centre.Karori is significantly larger than most other Wellington suburbs, having a population of over 14,000 at the time of the 2006 census.-History:Before the arrival of...
southwest of Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
for a mountain bike
Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
park. Development of the Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park began almost immediately with volunteer work parties planting trees and digging new tracks.
By 2011 over 30 kilometres of hand-built single track had been built and over 30,000 native seedlings planted. Pests such as goat
Goat
The domestic goat is a subspecies of goat domesticated from the wild goat of southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the Bovidae family and is closely related to the sheep as both are in the goat-antelope subfamily Caprinae. There are over three hundred distinct breeds of...
s, sheep, and possum
Possum
A possum is any of about 70 small to medium-sized arboreal marsupial species native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi .Possums are quadrupedal diprotodont marsupials with long tails...
s had been dramatically reduced allowing new vegetation to flourish.
The park is free to use and open to both cyclists and pedestrian
Pedestrian
A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...
s. 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
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
award from the New Zealand Recreation Association and two conservation
Conservation ethic
Conservation is an ethic of resource use, allocation, and protection. Its primary focus is upon maintaining the health of the natural world: its, fisheries, habitats, and biological diversity. Secondary focus is on materials conservation and energy conservation, which are seen as important to...
awards from the New Zealand Department of Conservation
New Zealand Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation , commonly known by its acronym, "DOC", is the state sector organisation which deals with the conservation of New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage...
.
The park is jointly managed by the Wellington City Council and Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park Supporters Inc.