TGL Contracting Limited have finished the upgrade work on Zac’s Track.

You can combine Zac’s Track with the recently upgraded T4 climb for a 20-30 minute grade 3 loop from the Peak. Or keep heading down Varley’s or Vertigo for a longer, more challenging descent.

Surfacing has been kept to a minimum, essentially a lot of rock has been pounded into the trail surface. It’s a bit soft in places, so take it easy while the track beds in over the next month.

Over time the riding line will firm up and the bench will narrow back to a pretty standard grade 3 width. This is approach makes the track much more sustainable and manageable from a maintenance point of view - which is one of the biggest challenges in the park at the moment. If grade 3 flow isn’t your thing, or you’re looking for variety or the next track to progress on, have a go at north face which is at the easier end of grade 4 (and started life as a grade 3 so not too steep).

This work was possible thanks to a grant from the Ian ‘Zac’ Pearson Memorial Fund which is administered by the Nikau Foundation.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

T3's days as a technical torture trail are over. As part of the 10 year master plan for the park, T3 is being replaced with a new grade 3 climb from the top of Varley's. Most of the hard work has been done by TGL, with surfacing work underway and an opening date to be confirmed in the next few weeks.

Views from Varley’s out towards Makara Beach on a still autumn evening.

This is the first stage of a series of changes and improvements to the northern end of the park. These are designed to increase use, provide riders of varying skill levels and fitness with different options. Ultimately there will be short and long grade 3 loops, with harder tracks for more advanced riders.

Over the next few years, we’ll be working with WCC on the following projects:

1. Zac's being rebuilt and changed to downhill only (winter 2020). Combined with T3 this will create a new short loop in the north end similar to Upper Leaping Lizard which has been super popular since it was opened.

2. A new grade 3 climbing track from the water tank at the bottom of Varley’s up the northern ridge to the bottom of T3 (starting in mid-late 2020).

3. A new bit of track to take riders from Zac's down to Varley’s, and then an overhaul and upgrade of Varley’s (2021)

4. New G4 track from the top of Trickle Falls down to the water tank at the bottom of Varley's (best guess 2022).