Te Akau Walking Track Network
Project location
Elliott Bay, Eastern Bay of Islands
Client
Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust
Services provided by Frame Group
Feasibility Studies and Options Assessment
Detailed Design and Engineering
Consents Management
Construction Management
Partners
Northland Parkcare – Construction Contractor
Geometria - Archaeologist
Frame Group worked alongside the Ipipiri Nature Conservancy Trust to support the staged development of the Te Akau Walking Track Network, a project driven by strong community commitment to securing long-term public access and protecting the Elliott Bay landscape.
The project began as a feasibility study to assess the viability of a 4 km walking track designed to Great Walk standard, with potential future connections into wider Northland tramping networks. A key focus of the feasibility work was the development of accurate, robust cost estimates to support funding decisions and staged delivery as funding becomes available.
Following the feasibility phase, Frame Group was engaged to tender and manage construction of Section B, the Te Akau Lookout Track. This stage includes approximately 600 m of track through active farmland and a further 1 km tramping track climbing to a lookout over Elliott Bay. Works include a viewing platform, boxed steps, fencing, a road crossing and a retaining wall, all carefully designed to operate within a working farm environment while protecting native vegetation and managing stock movements.
The wider site, purchased by the community to ensure ongoing public access, now includes a campground and is being progressively enhanced through native planting while retaining areas of productive farmland. Frame Group’s early feasibility input has been critical in setting a realistic, deliverable pathway for the project and ensuring the track network can be developed confidently over time.
