The Rotary Club of Queenstown Tucker Beach Trail runs 3.2km from the Lower Shotover Bridge to the Tucker Beach Delta, across a combination of Department of Conservation and privately owned land.
Excited residents and supporters gathered at the start of the track, off Tucker Beach Rd, yesterday afternoon for the official opening and to get the first taste of the new route.
Rotary Queenstown president Russell McGrouther paid tribute to former Queenstown Trails Trust chief executive Kaye Parker who, along with a team of Rotarians, had ``struggled through a jungle of overgrowth and negotiated some rocky terrain'' to assess the merits of establishing the track in August 2015.
"Following that struggle ... an approach was made to council, and approval was finally given to proceed with a grade two, easily negotiated commuter track.
"That was just over three years ago.''
A total of $178,000 in funding had been received from the Central Lakes Trust, Community Trust of Southland and Queenstown Trails Trust.
Rotary Queenstown contributed $70,000 and more than $50,000 had been given in kind.
The completed trail has been given to the community to mark 75 years of Rotary's involvement in Wakatipu.
Trails trust chief executive Mark Williams said the development of the trail was an ``absolute testament'' to the Rotarians, in particular John Thompson and Kerry Dunlop who had ``brought this project to fruition for the benefit of the community''.
"The Trails Trust has got pretty big plans to link this trail into the network as it further advances plans to develop the trail upstream,'' Mr Williams said.
"We're going to go over a bridge and through a tunnel and eventually end up at Arthurs Point.
"From this trail, in particular, there are some great loop opportunities becoming available.''
Those included a Ferry Hill loop, which would include a reduced-gradient Hansen Rd Track to Lake Johnson and back across the Hansen Water Race, to Ferry Hill Dr in Quail Rise.
