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Schools join the Pirongia Project

  • 05 Sep 2008

 

 



High on Pirongia, outdoor education students from Hamilton Boys High School have finished preparing the chopper lift bags, and await the arrival of Helicorp's Bell Ranger.

L to R - Luke Taylor, Rab Heath, Thomas de Malmanche, Courtney Bertram and Luke McKey. TA Construction manager Noel Sandford is at back,
wearing the floppy hat.


Photo credit: Amos Chapple

 

Construction of a one kilometre boardwalk on the summit of Pirongia is now underway - with help from two schools. The new boardwalk is part of Te Araroa's route across Waikato's biggest mountain - an essential link for the walk from Hamilton city to Waitomo township.

 

Five outdoor education students from Hamilton Boys High School began work February 21, supervised by Te Araroa construction manager Noel Sandford. They prefabricated over half the 54 tonnes of boardwalk, ready for helicopter lifts that begin Monday, February 28.

 

Further five-person teams of year-13 outdoor education boys from Hamilton Boys High and Te Awamutu College will help with construction in the weeks ahead, camping on the mountain and walking out at the end of each week.

 

They'll set in place the first 200 metres of the 1000-metre boardwalk before the onset of winter is expected to close down the 10-week operation. It'll begin again when weather permits - probably November or December 2005.

 

The project is financed by grants from WEL Energy Trust, Trust Waikato, Sky City Hamilton, The Perry Foundation and DoC Waikato, and fundraising for it continues. Helicorp Ltd discounted its fees 20% to help the project. Thomson's Timber discounted the timber 20%.

 

DoC's Waikato conservancy made the boardwalk a condition of opening a western route off the mountain in Te Araroa's favour. The boardwalk will lift walkers above deep mud west of Pahautea Hut, and will protect the rare dactylanthus which is found there. Te Araroa Waikato Trust did most of the fundraising and Te Araroa Trust is in overall charge of construction.

Page last updated: Jul 28, 2020, 5:08 PM