A huge crowd gathered at Tucker Beach to be among the first to explore the 5.5km Shotover Gorge Trail, part of the Queenstown Trail, linking Quail Rise to Arthurs Point.
Billed as the missing link trail, its completion also provides an off-road connection between Arrowtown and Frankton, and beyond.
It features the restored 108m Hugo Tunnel, at Big Beach; a section of trail to the tunnel designed and constructed by Elevate Trail Building described as a "work of art"; and the 90m Kimi-akau suspension bridge - the site of yesterday morning’s ribbon cutting.
Queenstown Trails Trust chief executive Mark Williams said the trail was a "legacy", while the bridge was symbolic of the community, which pulled together to fund its building.
Following a feasibility study and discussions with landowners, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment agreed to fund 50% of the trail’s construction, through the New Zealand Cycle Trail Enhance and Expand fund.
With assistance from Central Lakes Trust, corporate sponsors, lifetime supporters and some major donors, the trust managed to raise the balance. However, price increases post-Covid shifted the goal posts, forcing the trust to start another fundraising campaign.
While the Hugo Charitable Trust funded the development of the tunnel, the trails trust needed to find almost $1million to get the bridge off the ground - a goal achieved thanks to philanthropist and local businessman Rod Drury, who contributed $400,000, and the Alterno Foundation and S.R. McLaren Family Trust, which gave $200,000 each to cover the cost of the supporting towers.
Additionally, 110 "Trail Lovers" collectively contributed $165,000 to "sponsor a plank" on the bridge, a challenge laid down by Queenstown residents Julian and Lizanne Knights.
"Without sponsoring those planks, this bridge never would have got out of the ground," Mr Williams said.
"We’re absolutely stoked you’ve all been part of creating this legacy."
Trails trust chairman Michael Walker said Mr Williams and his small team had "poured their life and soul into this trail".
"They sleep it, they dream it, they breathe it and they delivered it.
"The list of thank-yous could have gone on till about Monday lunchtime - you all know who you are ... this is special, you are special and it’s just amazing to deliver it to the community."
The Shotover Gorge Trail is the second trail to be completed in the past six months in the Wakatipu - the 13km Wharehuanui Trail, which connects Arthurs Point to Arrowtown largely via the Coronet Peak foothills, opened last October.
The combined cost of the two trails was about $9m.
