Matt is the Executive Director of the Te Araroa Trail. Married with four children, he has always been keen on sports and the outdoors. Born in Invercargill he has played sport professionally, including a stint in the Balmain Tigers. Later he worked for Water Safety New Zealand. Then in 2021 he became the Director of the Te Araroa Trust. He gave a brief outline of how the Trust started.
The New Zealand Walkways Commission was formed in 1975, and then folded into D.O.C. in 1987. The concept of a walking trail from Cape Reinga to the Bluff was born. The Trust was formed in 1994 with one full-time employee, and the first section, from Kerikeri to Waitangi was developed in 1995. In 1998 Geoff Chappell walked the entire North Island and the concept gained momentum. Matt has written several books about the trail. The then Governor General, Sir Gerry Mataparae officially opened Te Araroa Trail in 2011.
The Trail now goes from the top of the North to the bottom of the South, 60% over public conservation land, 30% over private land, and 10% over Iwi Land. Included in the Commission's job is to negotiate access over private and Iwi land, and to arrange for the maintenance of the trail in spite of overgrowth, washouts, slips etc. To assist Matt has seven Regional Trust volunteers helping with track maintenance. Finance is still a problem. Some comes from DOC and the Trust is a registered charity but more is needed from a variety of sources, private to corporate.
Work on the trail is still not complete. Some parts involve walking on public roads or through cities and other parts are still in dispute with regard to access and Matt has to deal with all these issues.
The "walking season" opens on October 1st. 1300 walkers, 80% from overseas, completed the trail each year before Covid. The walk contains several highlights such as the Tongariro Crossing in the South Island, with several high country passes as well. Walkers are advised to take at least four or five months to complete the walk, will need to take a tent in parts, and should expect the experience to cost them about $7-10,000. They are invited to pay for it at the end. Matt's mission is to maintain, sustain, advocate and promote Te Araroa Trail. We enjoyed his talk and wish him well.