Keen walkers enjoy new tracks through city's beauty spots

Keen walkers in North Shore City have enjoyed better access to some of the city's natural beauty spots this summer.

North Shore City Council has built several kilometres of new all weather walking tracks and boardwalks in Glenfield, Beach Haven, Takapuna and Murrays Bay, adding to and upgrading its network of walkways around the city.

The chairperson of North Shore City's community services and parks committee, Margaret Miles, says feedback has been positive from people who have enjoyed the new tracks.

"There are many natural beauty spots in our city and we have an ongoing programme of upgrading existing tracks and building new ones to open up these areas and encourage more people to explore our city on foot," Councillor Miles says.

"It is great exercise for the body and relaxing for the mind."

Nearly a kilometre of new track has been added to the Francis Kendall Walkway in Glenfield. The walkway runs through native bush along Hellyers Creek and now connects Francis Kendall Reserve to Eskdale Reserve.

This adds to the substantial network of walkways the council already maintains in Glenfield, allowing walkers to enjoy the tranquil native bush and birdlife in that area.

For keen walkers the walkway could be easily included in a walk on the Glenfield Coastal Walk, along bush-fringed Kaipatiki Creek, simply by crossing Kaipatiki Rd into Francis Kendall Reserve.

Over the summer months the council's parks team has also erected new signs along the Glenfield Coastal walkway to help walkers check their location and plan their walk accordingly.

Margaret Miles says the coastal walkway in Beach Haven has also been extended, with an all-weather track built from Lancaster Rd to Ranch Ave. The formed portion of the walkway now extends from Shepherds Park to Ranch Ave.

"Next month we will start building a further 800 metres of track through to Beach Haven Rd, allowing walkers to enjoy a two-kilometre walk around the upper harbour."

Walking conditions for people who wish to take a close look at Tuff Crater in Northcote have also been improved. An all-weather track has been built around the edge of the crater from St Peters St to Heath Reserve in Exmouth St. There is walking access all around the crater but the portion between Warehouse Way and St Peters St is an unformed track.

In Takapuna a new boardwalk has been built, completing the loop track around Smiths Bush.

And coastal walkers are enjoying the renewed Possum's Ladder stairway opened at the northern end of Campbells Bay, which leads up the cliff-face through native bush to View Rd.

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