The Marlborough Kaikōura Trail Trust was set up in 2018 to develop and operate the Whale Trail.
The Whale Trail is a walking and cycling trail between Picton and Kaikōura. The vision is to create a first-rate tourism asset for Aotearoa that makes Marlborough and Kaikōura better places to live and work. The trail will deliver significant economic, cultural, wellbeing and environmental benefits. As architects of a new ‘second generation trail’ the Trust aims to create an incredible user experience that tells the story of our communities and local iwi. They are also taking a key leadership role in completing the geographic jigsaw puzzle of a true national cycling network.

Te Tapu o Tāne and Lake Dunstan Charitable Trust plan to plant 100,000 trees into the Lake Dunstan shoreline. The ‘Bridge to Bridge’ biodiversity restoration project is focused on restoring native species and improving recreational access/use from Lowburn Bridge to Deadman’s Bridge on Lake Dunstan.

Since the lake was created 30 years ago, the shoreline of Lake Dunstan has seen much biodiversity loss, soil degradation, damage from pests, decline in recreation use and aquatic weed infestation. Local community groups are working together to manage pest and invasive weed species and reintroducing native fauna and flora that once thrived, allowing the area to be utilised to its fullest potential and improving the wellbeing of the community and visitors that travel to the region.

The Ōpunake Loop Trail is creating the longest formal walkway/cycleway in South Taranaki. It passes through several different vistas: ocean, lakes, rivers, and parks. The goal is to provide an accessible, healthy, and natural resource for the diverse local community, as well as visitors to the area.

The trail will celebrate cultural diversity, offer educational and work opportunities, encourage recreational use and a connection with nature, promote local business ventures, and restore natural ecosystems and biodiversity. The initial focus is to restore the riverbank alongside the Waiaua River and the Otahi Stream.