A community-led and crowd-funded project to make a safer walk between Tapeka and Russell was awarded a Golden Foot Walking Award in 2022.
“Jim’s track” and the “Fladgate Nature Trail” was a joint project between Tapeka Ratepayers and the Fladgate families. The previous track formed by local resident Jim Mowat was extended over the Fladgate property in 2019 in a community-led project.
Tapeka Ratepayers had always wanted a footpath to get walkers off the road from Tapeka to Russell. There was already a partial track known as “Jim’s Track”. Negotiations were started with the Fladgate Family to see if a track could be formed on their property. They agreed and the track was made.
Locals and tourists alike use this track. A survey taken from Labour Weekend 2018 to Easter Weekend 2019 (before COVID) showed upwards of 1,000 people using the road in that time. These people can now use the track!
Since the opening, the track continues to be well used.
It is used by:
- kiwi birds at night
- children who can now walk to school more safely
- children (and parents) who paint rocks and hide them for others to find
- Geocachers. There are 4 caches on the track, two of which require people to study the information panels to solve where the caches are located
- people to escape COVID
- dog walkers (dogs must be on a lead)
- locals who maintain it
- locals who plant native trees on it
- the Bay of Islands Walking Weekend organisers
- Russell Landcare who use the track to access bait stations as part of being Predator Free.