Two large areas of Lake Wanaka will be closed to private craft for long periods during the weekend, and motorists will be kept out of some central business district roads for about three hours on Friday night.
The Wanaka Rowing Club is hosting its inaugural regatta on Saturday and harbourmaster Marty Black has uplifted several navigation safety bylaws and closed a 2km-long section of Roys Bay from 6am to 7pm.
The course extends from the swimming buoys towards Ruby Island. One water-ski lane near Edgewater Resort will also be closed and only craft associated with the event will be permitted on the rowing course.
Wanaka club captain Amanda Inkster said the Wakatipu, Dunstan, Cromwell and Wanaka rowing clubs founded the regatta, now in its fourth year.Mr Black has also uplifted navigation safety bylaws and restricted private-craft access into Paddock Bay on Saturday and Sunday so the Wanaka Water Ski Club can hold its annual tournament.
Other sporting events in Wanaka this weekend include:
• Summer Send Off cycling criterium, Friday, Pembroke Park. Parts of Ardmore, McDougal, Brownston and Dungarvon Sts will be closed to traffic between 5pm and 7.30pm.
• Alpine Classic 140km road-bike race, Saturday, February 25, between Queenstown waterfront and Wanaka waterfront (return), on State Highway 6 and the Crown Range. The road will remain open to all traffic.
• Summer Send Off four hour mountain-bike race, Saturday, on Deans Bank 14km track.
• Summer Send Off long-course triathlon, aqua terra and multisport races, Sunday. Triathlon course uses Roys Bay, the public sealed road network between Wanaka, Lake Hawea and Luggate (including both one-lane bridges over the Clutha River), and the QLDC Millennium walking track. The aqua terra uses Roys Bay, Department of Conservation tracks between Wanaka and Dublin Bay and the Millennium track. The multisport race starts at the Outlet boat ramp and uses the Clutha River, Department of Conservation track at Dublin Bay, the public sealed road network between Luggate and Wanaka, and the Millennium track. There will be no lake or road closures for these three events.
