Dunedin has a huge opportunity on its doorstep.
An opportunity that would improve the health and wellbeing of our people and our planet and lower our carbon footprint.
An opportunity that will connect our communities and connect us to nature and the beauty that surrounds us. An opportunity for us all to create our own adventures in the outdoors.
Dunedin’s big opportunity is to be a central hub on the longest cycling/walking trail network in the southern hemisphere.
Continuous trails connecting us from the beautiful Otago Harbour through our dramatic hinterlands all the way to the Remarkables and Mt Cook. This network would be a world-class cycling destination containing a huge diversity of landscapes which the people of Dunedin, the region and New Zealand would be able to access and enjoy. A wonderful and healthy playground for the people of Dunedin and the Otago Region with free access to all.
We can already see the huge benefits of having a stunning cycleway with our Harbour and Peninsula Cycleway - Te Aka Otakau. So many Dunedin people and visitors enjoy the beauty of the Otago Harbour on foot or cycling. The ability for cycleways/walkways to fulfil so many of Dunedin’s wellbeing goals is enormous.
Social equity - with free access for all. Health and wellbeing with the opportunity to exercise in beautiful environments for free. Mental health with connection to nature. Social connection through doing it with friends and shared mutual connections on the trails. Connecting communities and lowering the carbon footprint of travel through active transport. Connecting people to their history and whakapapa through storyboards that tell the history of our places.
Increasing biodiversity by having better access to plant and to trap. Spreading the economic benefits of tourism across more of the communities that make up Dunedin. Lowering the carbon footprint of tourism by creating the opportunity for multiple staycations, regional holidays and domestic vacations - with over 90% of visitors on trails being New Zealanders.
Knocking at Dunedin’s door are the Clutha Gold, Alps to Ocean and the Otago Central Rail Trail.
The Dunedin Tracks Network Trust, Taieri Trails Group and the Coastal Community Connection have a vision of connecting to both Waihola and the Clutha Gold and from the Harbour Cycleway at Port Chalmers up to the ecosanctuary and along our beautiful coast to Waikouaiti.
Dunedin has a fantastic opportunity to diversify its tourism offering and at the same time create huge benefit for our people and our environment. Queenstown, Wanaka and Central Otago Districts are a fantastic model for Dunedin to look to.
The Dunstan and surrounding trails increased tourism by 19% while Auckland was in lockdown and there was no international tourism. Queenstown’s trails will in two years bring as much economic benefit as 50% of the skifields.
Cycling brought in $157.6 million to the local economy in 2021 and at the same time created a much-needed active transport network for the area.
Dunedin needs to diversify its tourism in a changing world to benefit more of its own people and to benefit the planet.
Our own new destination plan recommends connecting to the Central Otago Trails and developing our wonderful tracks and trails network to enable more people to enjoy Dunedin’s natural heritage, with over 40% of respondents asking for investment in cycling and trails and two-thirds of our visitors loving Dunedin’s outdoor offerings of beaches, hills, wildlife and our environmental credentials.
Through Dunedin City Council’s 10-year plan the opportunity exists to partner with the Otago region, central government, trails and charitable trusts to invest in a regenerative-tourism plan and region-wide off-road cycling network that will benefit all of our people, our communities and the planet.
- Rachel Elder is a former Dunedin city councillor.
