Pump Track Party!

After five years in the planning, we are very pleased to announce that the Velosolutions pump track at Morgan Park, Waihī, is complete!

Members of the community have requested a Pump Track for nearly 10 years, and when funding seemed impossible to secure, Forum member Bhavesh Ranchhod suggested that the Forum take on the project. What started as a rough sketch on a scrap of paper has become a larger than life track built to an international competition standard alongside a learners and wheelchair-accessible track. It’s really exciting to see the dream become a reality.

The project has been a community effort from the start, with local rangatahi and other community members generously giving their input, enabling the creation of a free facility that all ages and abilities can enjoy. It’s been fantastic seeing such a wide variety of you riding the track since it opened on 7th June - we’re sure it will be in constant use!

The Forum hopes the opportunity will arise to have competitions someday, be they national or international, bringing more visitors to Waihī so we can show off our awesome town's hospitality, too.

The track is a wonderful addition to Waihī, made possible thanks to a good partnership between the Forum and Council, and with incredible financial support from local businesses, clubs and external funders. The addition of a new skatepark and BBQ area are yet to come, but planning has begun behind the scenes already - watch this space!

The Waihī Community Forum would like to extend a massive thank you to those who have financially supported the pump track to this point - Oceana Gold Waihī, Hauraki District Council, the Lotteries Community Facilities Fund, Valder Ohinemuri Charitable Trust, Lion Foundation, One Foundation, Lions Club Waihī and Waihī Beach RSA. 

Thanks to everyone who came along to the Pump Track Party and bought wheels and whānau!

A huge thanks from the Forum team to OceanaGold Waihī for their on-going support and for providing the very popular Little Digger, Tyler Cochrane for opening the track, and the Tauranga BMX Club for their awesome display and tasty sausages, and to Waihī Scouts for providing fantastic refreshments.

Thanks also to Gudrun from Party In The Bay for her wonderful face-painting, Waihī Sports & Cycles for their generous donation of the skateboard and scooter prizes, and Rino Wilkinson from Nga Iwi FM for his great MC-ing.

We also extend thanks East Coast Hire, to Mayor Toby Adams, the Waihī Ward Hauraki District Council, and Scott Simpson MP for their support.

And a special thank you goes out to the pump track build team, especially Craig, Fiona and Paul from Velosolutions New Zealand who came all the way from Rotorua and Gisborne for the day to celebrate as well.

Check out these photos taken by the talented Mickie Williams (Insta - @mickiewilliamscreative)