The walkway features a boardwalk stretching from Stone St to the Alpha Series subdivision on Otago Fish and Game land, passing through wetlands featuring significant riparian planting and winding beside Bullock Creek, a nursery for brown and rainbow trout.
After months of delays due to stormwater run-off issues, yesterday's opening marked the finale of two years of work by the Wanaka Residents Association to clear the site of vegetation and beautify the area.
The walkway was blessed before speeches from association chairman Roger Gardiner, Otago Fish and Game officer Paul van Klink and chief executive Ian Hadland, as well as Department of Corrections Otago and Southland district manager Glenn Morrison.
Queenstown Lakes district deputy mayor Calum MacLeod was also on hand to officially cut the tape along with members of the Oanaka Educare group, who also sang a song.
The large turnout gave Mr Gardiner reason to believe there was ''a breadth of interest in this particular site and what's been going on''.
He thanked numerous parties for their help and contributions, especially the Department of Corrections, which had provided 37 offenders and 4200 man hours to the project since January 2017.
Mr Hadland told the crowd the creek was something special.
''Springs like this are rare - and even rarer in urban communities.''
''I'm not a religious man, but I think this is God's way of trying to demonstrate what every stream should look like; crystal clear, pure and drinkable.''
''[The boardwalk] helps the wider community appreciate the things that we really hold dear, which is fresh, clean water and fully functioning wetlands ... it's going to be a great asset.''
The project is likely to be the last for the Wanaka Residents Association, which Mr Gardiner said would soon disband. However, a new charitable trust, possibly called Friends of Bullock Creek, would be established.
''What I see this organisation being is a charitable trust formed for the purpose of looking after, maintaining, enhancing, and protecting Bullock Creek.''
Mr Gardiner said another boardwalk through the wetlands could be a possibility in the future.
