(Saturday 1 November, 2025) The Fiordland Trails Trust (FTT) has reached a significant milestone in its mission to complete the Lake2Lake Trail as a fully off-road experience, with resource consents secured and fundraising set to start in earnest.
The Lake2Lake Trail currently connects Te Anau and Manapouri, offering cyclists and walkers a spectacular journey through Fiordland. However one section – from Balloon Loop to Supply Bay Road – requires users to travel along State Highway 95; something that has never sat well with the Trust.
Now, though, that is all set to change. FTT has officially obtained resource consent from Southland District Council and Environment Southland, along with a Community Agreement from the Department of Conservation (DoC), allowing work to begin on the final off-road section and create a full off-road trail.
FTT Chair David Boniface says the milestone marks years of commitment and perseverance.
“It has been a very long road to get to this point, but we are absolutely thrilled to have consents and agreements in place. This means we can finally deliver a fully off-road Lake2Lake Trail – a safer, world-class experience for locals and visitors alike.”
With permissions secured, the focus now turns to fundraising, with more than $600,000 required to build the remaining 5.4km of trail. A dedicated fundraising committee has been established and is already exploring multiple funding pathways, with construction targeted to begin in 2026/2027.
Mr Boniface says when FTT commenced the construction of the Lake2Lake Trail in 2015 it expected it would be able to complete the trail through a section of Fiordland National Park to the east of the Waiau River. However, over a long period of time, it became apparent that would not achieve required permissions and, as such, its plans changed.
“It would have required an amendment to the Fiordland National Park Plan to enable cyclists within the national park. To date, the Fiordland National Park Plan has not been reviewed or amended,” he says.
“Along with cyclists, other trail users, and NZTA, we’ve long held serious safety concerns about the requirement for trail users to go on road – on a busy State Highway – no less – for part of their journey. Even with widened road shoulders, it really is not satisfactory.”
With support of PAMU and the Department of Conservation, FTT surveyed a route that does not enter the national park and is confined to land managed by PAMU and DoC.
“While the route is not our original preference, it is an excellent compromise and it will contain many features including superb river views and vistas across farm land to the Takitimu Mountains,” Mr Boniface says.
With momentum building and strong community support, the finish line is finally in sight.
FTT welcomes any expressions of support. Email admin@fiordlandtrails.nz.
