Christine finally gets her cycle trail

After four years of not taking ‘‘no’’ for an answer Christine Green has her cycle trail.

Hutt City Council announced last week that a successful application had been made to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for the Wainuiomata Heartland Ride.

Her goal had been to literally put Wainuiomata on the map and in the tourism brochures.

The 28-kilometre route between the Orongorongo River car park and Hutt River Trail has been on Green’s agenda since 2016 when she saw a map of the Remutaka Cycle Trail that ended at the Wainuiomata Coast, ignoring the suburb itself.

Adding to her chagrin was a footnote in the guide that stated ‘‘the Wainuiomata Coast provides a link back to Wellington’’.

‘‘We want to be more than just a convenience to get back to Wellington. We want to be part of the trail.’’

She was delighted to have had the route approved.

The on-road cycling tour route will join Nga¯ Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail network of Heartland Rides that are designed to link urban centres, transport hubs and other tourist spots.

Green and her husband Barrie have lived in Wainuiomata for 49 years and have watched the Lower Hutt suburb grow, flourish and decline.

She believed the heartland route could be a catalyst for positive change in the suburb with the potential for an economy to spring up to support the cyclists.

The new route – projected to be completed in mid-2020 – would provide a more sheltered alternative to rounding Pencarrow Heads in the persistent Wellington northerlies for people on day trips

Rd and those completing the Remutaka Cycle Trail.

Initially Green wanted the inland route added to the Remutaka Cycle Trail but she said the heartland ride was a good compromise. At times Green felt like she was banging her head against a bureaucratic brick wall. In 2017, she found a champion in Hutt South MP Chris Bishop, who described her as indefatigable in the face of apathetic attitudes to the cycle route.

‘‘Without her, [the Heartland Ride] never would have happened. She just kept plugging away and eventually she came through along with the council and NZTA.’’

In a statement, Hutt City Mayor Campbell Barry said Green’s hard work had been an important factor in bringing parties together to get the project over the line.

The New Zealand Cycle Trail began in 2009, and is made up of 22 Great Rides and connecting Heartland Rides which span more than 2500km.

ROB KITCHIN/STUFF Christine Green has lobbied the New Zealand Transport Agency and Hutt City Council for four years to have a heartland cycle route put through Wainuiomata. Last week, her efforts were rewarded with the announcement that the route would be added.