QLDC have advised that the Peninsula track outside of the Hilton will be closed during week days from 3 May for four months for construction work to protect the gabion wall along the lakes edge and upgrade to the trail. QLDC is proposing an alternative route for track users of going up Willow Place, along Peninsula Road and then down a reconstructed track to the old Kawarau Bridge. There is a PDF available with more details of the work and a map.
So, if you want a coffee at the Hilton or want to use the ferry services from the Hilton Pier, you will need to access these services from the Peninsula Rd entrance to the Kawarau Village and the Hilton. Alternatively, you can catch the ferry from the Bayview Pier.
KPCA consider that QLDC may not have thought through the impact of effectively removing ferry services from the Hilton Pier for local users during the week for 4 months. If you are a user of the track in this area and think that QLDC could do more to allow access during construction, then respond to this blog with your comments or make your thoughts known on KPCA’s face book page. You can also contact QLDC via email: services@qldc.govt.nz