Latest news with #Twyman
Scoop
19-06-2025
- Scoop
Great Ride Te Hangāruru Opens: ‘A Gift To The Community For Matariki'
The opening of a long-awaited cycle and walking trail connecting Horopito to Waimarino (National Park village) has been heralded as a major milestone for the Mountains to Sea - Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride. "This is our gift to the community for Matariki," trail champion Lynley Twyman said at the Horopito trail head in the central North Island. Twyman said Te Hangāruru, the new section of the Great Ride, was a vital piece of the vision to complete a 320km journey from Ruapehu maunga to the Tasman Sea. "The trail honours the stories and abundance of this land, and builds a legacy for future generations." The rising of the nine stars of Matariki (Pleiades) marks the beginning of the Māori new year. This year's national observance day ceremony, being broadcast from the foot of Ruapehu maunga at dawn on Friday, recognises both Matariki and Puanga (Rigel), one of the most important stars for Māori in the Ruapehu and Whanganui regions. Twyman said the region had come through a difficult period, including ski industry troubles and the closure of major employers like the Chateau Tongariro and WPI Mills. The trail would help build regional resilience and act as a catalyst for sustainable economic growth and community wellbeing. Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton said Te Hangāruru had been delivered despite enormous challenges, including funding hurdles and environmental consents. "This trail is the product of sheer determination, long-term vision and real community mahi," Kirton said. "Te Hangāruru represents not just connection on a map, but a pathway for locals and visitors to explore, reflect and rediscover the beauty of this place." Twyman said the Mountains to Sea - Ngā Ara Tūhono trail was one of New Zealand's most diverse cycle trails, traversing dual World Heritage landscapes, native bush, alpine streams, the volcanic plateau, historic viaducts and the Whanganui River. The 9km southern section of Te Hangāruru, from Horopito to Pōkākā Road, features two new suspension bridges, including a 30 metre bridge over the Mangaturuturu River, a dramatic waterfall and a heritage tramway. The 9km northern section follows part of the restored Marton Sash & Door tramway. The final section of the trail - awaiting funding for construction - includes a 225m suspension bridge over the Makatote River. 'A tangible expression of partnership' Te Hangāruru was due to open at Horopito on Thursday morning with a community celebration bringing together iwi, council representatives and the wider community, including students from National Park School and Raetihi Primary. The Mountains to Sea initiative is a collaboration between iwi, local government and the community. A charitable trust that leads and supports work on the trail includes representatives from Ngāti Rangi, iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua, Ruapehu and Whanganui district councils, the Whanganui Māori regional tourism organisation, trail users and community leaders. "Te Hangāruru is a tangible expression of partnership," Te Korowai o Wainuiārua chair Aiden Gilbert said. The name Te Hangāruru was gifted to the trail by Uenuku, one of three iwi represented by Te Korowai o Wainuiārua. It refers to the native forest - traditionally a place of abundance for local Māori. "The name Te Hangāruru recalls a time when the skies of the Waimarino forest were dark with birds such as kākā," Gilbert said. "It was a place where tangata whenua gathered kai and lived in harmony with the taiao (earth)." Gilbert said the trail winds through regenerating ngahere, past waterfalls and toward the proposed iwi-led Pōkākā alpine ecosanctuary. "Through this trail, our people have opportunities to care for the land and to welcome visitors through manaakitanga. It's part of a bigger journey, one where we walk together." Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe, who chairs Ngā Ara Tūhono Charitable Trust, described the Great Ride as "a true regional treasure". He said the Mountains to Sea ride literally connects the Ruapehu and Whanganui districts and strengthens their shared future. "This project brings economic opportunity, supports healthy communities and invites manuhiri from all over to experience something unique to Aotearoa."
Axios
02-06-2025
- General
- Axios
Why 12 more names were added to the Central Library atrium
You'll notice a dozen new names on the walls the next time you step into the Central Library's atrium. Why it matters: The 12 influential authors memorialized in the downtown library represent the next step in an initiative to shine a light on the literary contributions of marginalized creators. Driving the news: The second phase of the Central Authors Project finished late last month with a renovation of the glass-enclosed public space. Prior to the project's launch, the Central Library walls housed the names of 83 esteemed figures throughout history, with the first names engraved in 1917 and additions made in 2007. Yes, but: Just five of the people included were women, and none were people of color. Flashback: Planning for the Central Authors Project began in 2021 when Indianapolis native and longtime library patron Michael Twyman encouraged the IndyPL to make the lineup more inclusive and provided funding to make it happen. Phase one added the names of 10 Black American authors to the library walls in spring 2022. What they're saying: "Public libraries have the power to shape our community's cultural and intellectual life by curating, sharing and telling stories," Twyman said in a statement. "I am so proud to have been part of this historic project to increase the diversity of authors represented in Central Library's architecture." How it works: Authors were nominated by library visitors and the Indianapolis community at large.
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Scoop
Te Hangāruru Cycle Trail: Key Section In Mountains To Sea Ride Opens In June
Article – Moana Ellis – Local Democracy Reporter Iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuirua is working with the Ruapehu District Council and other stakeholders in the central North Island to build the trail connecting Waimarino (formerly National Park village) to Horopito, and eventually to Pkk. Trail builders are three weeks away from opening the newest section of the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride cycle trail. When complete, the 29.4km Te Hangāruru Cycle Trail will deliver the infamous 'missing link' in a multi-day adventure ride, starting on the volcanic slopes of Mt Ruapehu and ending at the Tasman Sea in Whanganui. Iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua is working with the Ruapehu District Council and other stakeholders in the central North Island to build the trail connecting Waimarino (formerly National Park village) to Horopito, and eventually to Pōkākā. Trail manager Lynley Twyman said construction of this section began in October 2023 and was being built in stages as funding came in. Te Hangāruru will feature boardwalks, 17 bridges and four suspension bridges over a track through subalpine landscape, including podocarp forests. The country's longest suspension bridge, stretching 200 meters across the Makatote River, will be built in a later stage of the project. Earlier this month, teams from Midwest Helicopters, Abseil Access and Impel 2010 installed a 30m suspension bridge over the Mangaturuturu River, and trail builders are working now on completing the approaches. Another 99m suspension bridge will be built over the Manganui-o-te-Ao in the next phase of works, and an underpass under the Main Trunk Line, just north of Pōkākā, is under construction. 'Once complete, this trail will be another jewel for the Ruapehu community and an unforgettable ride or walk for adventurers across Aotearoa,' Twyman said. Ngā Ara Tūhono Charitable Trust, which oversees the trail, is seeking final funding for the last phases of the trail. 'But we're building everything we can now, with the resources we have,' Twyman said. The Trust is chaired by Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe. Members include Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton, Tūpoho iwi representative Chris Kumeroa, Ngāti Rangi's Ngā Waihua o Paerangi pouārahi Helen Leahy, Te Korowai o Wainuiārua chair Aiden Gilbert, Whanganui Māori tourism representative Hayden Potaka, and Whanganui District Council representative Rory Smith. The completed Mountains to Sea trail will offer more than 320km of connected trails, including stretches through two national parks and alongside the Whanganui River. It will become one of the 23 Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail, Ngā Haerenga. The first 9km of Te Hangāruru – 'a fabulous piece of track' – will open on June 19. The Trust is calling for community volunteers to pitch in from 10am on Sunday, 1 June, to plant 800 locally sourced native trees and shrubs around the Horopito trail head, opposite Horopito Motors (also known as Smash Palace). The planting is part of a rehabilitation project for land that was returned to Te Korowai o Wainuiārua by the Crown earlier this month under treaty settlement. 'It was covered in rubbish and pest plants like gorse, broom and blackberry. It has been cleaned up with care – now it's our turn to give back,' Twyman said. 'This planting is all about rehabilitating the whenua, making sure we're contributing back to the environment and our people. 'The community keeps asking how they can help – this is how. Bring your spade, scissors, boots and lunch, and get stuck in.' Twyman said Te Hangāruru gives riders a front-row seat to 'seriously stunning central plateau scenery'. 'You'll cruise through native forest, alongside relics from early timber milling days, and beautiful farmland.' Towering above the landscape is Hauhungatahi, at 1521 meters one of New Zealand's tallest volcanoes. 'What makes it truly unique is that it's built atop an upfaulted block of ancient mesozoic marine sediment – rock that once sat on the seafloor,' Twyman said. 'The lava that formed Hauhungatahi erupted around 900,000 years ago, making it more than three times as old as Mt Ruapehu.' The completed trail will feature an 18km section of the historic Marton Sash and Door tramway route, built in the 1920s for locomotives to take logs from Waimarino and Ngātokoerua to the town of Marton, south of the plateau.
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Scoop
Te Hangāruru Cycle Trail: Key Section In Mountains To Sea Ride Opens In June
Trail builders are three weeks away from opening the newest section of the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride cycle trail. When complete, the 29.4km Te Hangāruru Cycle Trail will deliver the infamous 'missing link' in a multi-day adventure ride, starting on the volcanic slopes of Mt Ruapehu and ending at the Tasman Sea in Whanganui. Iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua is working with the Ruapehu District Council and other stakeholders in the central North Island to build the trail connecting Waimarino (formerly National Park village) to Horopito, and eventually to Pōkākā. Trail manager Lynley Twyman said construction of this section began in October 2023 and was being built in stages as funding came in. Te Hangāruru will feature boardwalks, 17 bridges and four suspension bridges over a track through subalpine landscape, including podocarp forests. The country's longest suspension bridge, stretching 200 meters across the Makatote River, will be built in a later stage of the project. Earlier this month, teams from Midwest Helicopters, Abseil Access and Impel 2010 installed a 30m suspension bridge over the Mangaturuturu River, and trail builders are working now on completing the approaches. Another 99m suspension bridge will be built over the Manganui-o-te-Ao in the next phase of works, and an underpass under the Main Trunk Line, just north of Pōkākā, is under construction. 'Once complete, this trail will be another jewel for the Ruapehu community and an unforgettable ride or walk for adventurers across Aotearoa,' Twyman said. Ngā Ara Tūhono Charitable Trust, which oversees the trail, is seeking final funding for the last phases of the trail. 'But we're building everything we can now, with the resources we have,' Twyman said. The Trust is chaired by Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe. Members include Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton, Tūpoho iwi representative Chris Kumeroa, Ngāti Rangi's Ngā Waihua o Paerangi pouārahi Helen Leahy, Te Korowai o Wainuiārua chair Aiden Gilbert, Whanganui Māori tourism representative Hayden Potaka, and Whanganui District Council representative Rory Smith. The completed Mountains to Sea trail will offer more than 320km of connected trails, including stretches through two national parks and alongside the Whanganui River. It will become one of the 23 Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail, Ngā Haerenga. The first 9km of Te Hangāruru – 'a fabulous piece of track' – will open on June 19. The Trust is calling for community volunteers to pitch in from 10am on Sunday, 1 June, to plant 800 locally sourced native trees and shrubs around the Horopito trail head, opposite Horopito Motors (also known as Smash Palace). The planting is part of a rehabilitation project for land that was returned to Te Korowai o Wainuiārua by the Crown earlier this month under treaty settlement. 'It was covered in rubbish and pest plants like gorse, broom and blackberry. It has been cleaned up with care – now it's our turn to give back,' Twyman said. 'This planting is all about rehabilitating the whenua, making sure we're contributing back to the environment and our people. 'The community keeps asking how they can help – this is how. Bring your spade, scissors, boots and lunch, and get stuck in.' Twyman said Te Hangāruru gives riders a front-row seat to 'seriously stunning central plateau scenery'. 'You'll cruise through native forest, alongside relics from early timber milling days, and beautiful farmland.' Towering above the landscape is Hauhungatahi, at 1521 meters one of New Zealand's tallest volcanoes. 'What makes it truly unique is that it's built atop an upfaulted block of ancient mesozoic marine sediment – rock that once sat on the seafloor,' Twyman said. 'The lava that formed Hauhungatahi erupted around 900,000 years ago, making it more than three times as old as Mt Ruapehu.' The completed trail will feature an 18km section of the historic Marton Sash and Door tramway route, built in the 1920s for locomotives to take logs from Waimarino and Ngātokoerua to the town of Marton, south of the plateau.
