Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Bike trail not finished yet

Updated at 7:31 am on 31 January 2012

Three years after a $50 million national cycle trail was promoted to boost employment and entice tourists, cyclists say only a fraction is finished.

A trail running the length of the country was promoted at the 2009 Employment Summit, but was scrapped in favour of 18 smaller tracks. So far, only three have been completed.

However, New Zealand Cycle Trail programme manager John Dunn says all but two of the tracks are expected to be completed by December.

Andy Hunt, who runs an adventure cycling company, says he has just biked the Alps - Ocean trail from Aoraki-Mount Cook to Oamaru with a group of 18.

He says it was advertised as being about 80% completed, but they found not even half the track appeared to be finished. Some parts were still to get consent approval.

Mr Dunn concedes opening all the tracks has not been plain sailing and says consent issues need to be solved.

Listen to more from Andy Hunt on Morning Report

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