Dunedin’s shared pathway running "port to port" around Otago Harbour now has a new name, given by Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou.
The full trail from Port Chalmers to beyond Portobello will be known as Te Aka Ōtākou (The Otago Vine), referring to the winding path of the trail and the harbour as the central waterway to cling to.
Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou spokeswoman Megan Pōtiki said Tahu Pōtiki named the path in 2019, not long before he died, "therefore it is important that we acknowledge him as the harbour path nears completion".
As well as Te Aka Ōtākou, Mr Pōtiki coined other names for each side of the harbour.
The northern or State Highway 88 trail will be known as Te Ara Moana (The Ocean Path), while the eastern or Otago Peninsula trail is Te Awa Ōtākou (The Ocean River).
Te Ara Moana refers to the direction of the tide as it flows out to the ocean.
Te Awa Ōtākou refers to the flow of the tide into the harbour.
The naming announcement comes as Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency nears completion of construction on the Port Chalmers to St Leonards section of shared path.
Waka Kotahi regional relationships director James Caygill said the Port Chalmers to St Leonards part of the path presented many challenges given the lack of space for the path in a demanding coastal marine environment.
"It involved reclaiming areas of the harbour, realigning sections of the main trunk rail line, building several major retaining walls and a new 600m-plus boardwalk to carry the cycle path around the edge of Blanket Bay," Mr Caygill said.
"We have incorporated the story of Matamata, a guardian taniwha for the harbour, into the Roseneath cutting panels and our crews and contractors have worked closely with the harbour communities and KiwiRail throughout."
It will open by the end of July.
