It’s a Long Long Road
The walking track around the outside of the lagoon was a pipe dream of the founding members of Te Whanau Hou Grovetown Lagoon project. Twenty years on the loop track is now well used, with up to 150 people using the track in the weekend on peak days.
There are still challenges to the volunteers of the project. One of the aims of the Society is to improve the access at the lagoon. This includes making the track weather resilient and more usable in wet weather conditions.
There is an area of the track around the outside of the lagoon which is unformed. This area, shown in the red square of the aerial photograph below, is mown grass which can be boggy. Upgrading track to gravel can be expensive, with this area quoted at $8,000. Fortunately the Society has been successful in a funding application and will receive $4,000 towards upgrading the track from the Marlborough District Council Community Grants.
Te Whanau Hou Grovetown Lagoon is looking forward to getting this area upgraded next year in the drier months, ready for improved access next winter. Another dream of the Society is to upgrade an area of the track for limited mobility users to make part of the Lagoon more accessible for all.
