A unique role for Mahurangi and public transport

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The public transport needs of the Mahurangi, in most ways, are unremarkable.

Warkworth and Mahurangi East have long needed both a local bus service as well as better connectivity to Auckland’s bus system.

But what is unique about the Mahurangi is that it is potentially within walking distance for any Aucklander willing to take a bus trip to Waiwera.

The greater Mahurangi regional park extends from the Waiwera River almost to Martins Bay. And the sum of the individual parks—Wenderholm, Te Muri, Mahurangi West, Scotts Landing, Mahurangi East, Casnell Island, Saddle Island and Motuora—should be thought of in National Park terms.

In time, a ferry service will nicely link the parks across the harbour, and Saddle Island and Motuora. But the greatest boost to accessibility will come from the building of the 10‑kilometre Mahurangi Coastal Trail—if that is what it is titled, once it becomes official.

The first formal walk of the trail was led by Sir Brian Barratt-Boyes, in the 1980s. It was part of a successful campaign to convince regional park policy makers that Te Muri could be well used with walking access only, whereas the then proposed road bridge across the estuary and parking for 4000 cars would put paid to the perfect sense of isolation the place exudes.

This would also be a sublime route on which to construct the world’s first coastal Shweeb.

Be that as it may, it is not the subject of tonight’s 18‑minute Mahurangi Club talk, by Roger Williams. Mr William’s background:

Roger Williams is a British-trained civil engineer who has been based in Aotearoa for the last 47 years. Roger has been involved in buildings and transportation projects most of his career. Notable transportation projects include design of underground tunnels and railway stations in London, Jordan, Hong Kong and more recently the design of the Britomart Railway station and in a study into the crossing for the Waitematā harbour.

Living overseas and being reliant on public transport has been an opportunity to experience many different public transport systems and see why and how they work.

Roger’s talk will discuss some of these observations.

Roger and Pat‍ ‍e until recently lived in Cambridge and strongly supported the Maungatautari project. They are now completing construction of a new house in Warkworth and are already involved in local environmental projects, particularly planting, weeding and construction of boardwalks at Tāwharanui.