PRESS RELEASE
1 October 2010

Waiheke Island Walking Festival 2010

The inaugural Waiheke Walking Festival starts on Saturday 30 October.

This nine day walking festival is an on-island initiative aiming to promote awareness of Waiheke as a quality walking destination on Auckland’s doorstep. It will show off the real Waiheke and encourage visitors to ‘spread the word’ and return regularly.

The festival will offer two free guided walks each day and there will also be a wide range of maps and notes for self-guided walks to enable walkers to discover Waiheke at their own time and pace.

Chief Guide, Janine James says, ‘ we want to help visitors to Waiheke get more out of their trip in a way that helps the island tourism industry without impacting on the environment. We want them to come back again and again and spread the word.’

Event co-ordinator, Jenness Reeve, says, ‘this is run on a shoe-string, but we are working with the invaluable support of Fullers Ferries, Tourism Auckland’s Waiheke Island i-SITE Visitor Centre and Auckland City. We are also very grateful for the enthusiasm and co-operation of private landowners who have allowed walks through land not usually available to the public.’

Walking festivals are well established in Europe and America and growing in popularity in New Zealand. Waiheke is already a well- known destination and a walking festival is an obvious addition to the island’s portfolio of tourist offerings. During the summer of 2009/2010 Auckland City successfully hosted weekly guided walks attended by over 700 people and using many of the well-established walkways and tracks.

Parks Officer Gary Wilton says Waiheke is a paradise right here on Auckland’s doorstep. Walking is an ideal way to take in much of what the island has to offer and get some great exercise at the same time!’

Guided walks are accompanied by a professional host and for a full list of walks available go to: http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/whatson/places/walkways/pdf/WaihekeWalkingFestival2010.pdf

A brochure will be available at the Waiheke Visitor Information Centre from early October and if you are interested in joining any of the walks please register with the Information Centre.
All walks are free but places are limited.
To register please phone Waiheke Visitor Information Centre (i-SITE) 09 372 1234 or email waiheke@aucklandnz.com

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