Just got this press release from the folks at Woodhill…
Regrettably we have to advise the time has come for some of the trees to disappear from our beloved mountain bike park. You may already know; this has been on the cards for some time and due to speedy production up north, the forest crews are moving in a little sooner than expected. As of the 23rd of January 2012, the blocks containing the following trails will be harvested and therefore temporarily closed to all public access:
Spaghetti Stage 1
Back Road Stage 1
Charlie’s Angel
Evil Offspring
Bookabach
Blacktop
Maps showing the exact blocks affected are available online or at the proshop.This is going to take around eight weeks in total. Our intentions are to reopen certain trails on the completion of this harvesting. That said, until we see the lay of the land following this process we can’t confirm the timeframe or the details of this process.
This is the first time commercial forestry operations have taken place in such a highly populated recreational area. It is of the utmost importance that everyone respects the dangerous nature of harvesting and the safety controls in place throughout the process.
It is extremely important that all riders STAY OFF THE ROAD in the park (including Boundary Rd from the Tree Adventures gate to the top of Powerball/Spaghetti etc).
Riders must STAY WELL CLEAR of the harvesting area at all times.
We ask everyone to READ AND ABIDE BY ALL SIGNAGE that is installed over this period and please speak to our staff if you have any questions.
There will be logging trucks driving through the park on weekdays, and at certain times ROADSIDE felling will be taking place. Therefore please do not assume the danger area is the same each time you ride. We will do our best to ensure danger areas are well blocked but due to vandalism and the nature of the process please use your common sense and awareness to ensure your own personal safety. We will redirect some non affected trails (which will be well marked with signage), so you can access your favourite trails with little disruption.
The team here at the park will be working hard over the coming weeks to ensure everyone is safe and continues to enjoy riding here at the park. No one is more sad to see these trees go than the team here at the park. However on a positive note, we’re looking forward to building some fresh new trails in these areas and this time there should be some great views across the Kaipara.
