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Construction on the second phase of the Mangawhai shared path is due to start this week and includes a collaboratively designed boardwalk running alongside the causeway.
Te Uri o Hau environs group worked with Kaipara District Council staff and Resilio Design Studio on the boardwalk, which reflects Maōri design principles. Kaumātua Hone Martin says several species of fish and shellfish are integrated into the design.
“From head to tail, the boardwalk reflects the mahinga kai (natural resources) of Mangawhai, especially the estuarine environment the boardwalk traverses,” he says. “In the boardwalk design, we have included whai (stingray), pātiki (flounder) and pārore.”
At the northern entrance, a tohu te whai (stencil of a stingray) will be engraved in the path, and at the southern side, a pou representing te upoko o te ika (head of the fish) will be carved and installed.
A fishing platform, located in the middle of the boardwalk over Tara Creek takes on the fin shape from the ika (fish) species found in the estuary. The movement of whai wings is represented through the undulating balustrade that hem the fishing platforms. The smaller balusters also symbolise the spines of the various ika (fish) species. Specific design features will be further refined with Te Uri o Hau and local Māori artists and carvers.
Martin has gifted a te reo Māori name to this section of the shared path, and also encompassing the Backbay boardwalk, built by the Mangawhai Trackies.
“The name Te Ara o Te Whai has three dimensions or reference points – referring to the pathway of (the stingray), the pathway of (the chief) and the pathway of (pursuit).”
Fulton Hogan has been awarded the contract for phase two physical works, which starts at the end of phase one (about 80 metres past Estuary Drive) through to Mangawhai Central and includes the boardwalk alongside the causeway. It is part of a wider shared path network planned for Mangawhai, improving safety and connectivity between its two centres, and making it easier to travel by foot, bike or scooter along busy Molesworth Drive.
To kickstart the second phase of shared path works, Fulton Hogan will build a retaining wall beginning at 90 Molesworth Drive down to the causeway.
Kaipara District Council project manager Tim Manning says construction is being timed to fit in and around the busy Christmas break.
“Fulton Hogan will start work on the retaining wall sometime in the week beginning October 10, finishing ahead of Christmas. Traffic management will be in place. Work will shut down over the Christmas/New Year period and Molesworth Drive will be open to two lanes across the summer break, from early December through to mid-January.”
The work on the boardwalk section will start in mid-January. Phase two is planned to be finished by August next year.
