Call me biased, but in my opinion, Tāmaki Makaurau is building one of its most iconic structures: Te Whau Pathway.
The wide boardwalk hovers above the mangroves of the Whau River estuary. Even under construction, it’s thrillingly beautiful, snaking along the water while kōtare flit and dive around it.
Unlike the Northwestern Shared Path, which borders the Northwestern Motorway, Te Whau Pathway is far from roads. The distant hum of the motorway to the north, and the view beyond to the city centre skyline only serve to remind those on Te Whau Pathway how immersed in nature they are.
The Construction Manager Amy O’Donnell guided Bike Auckland crew members and local bike fan Jennifer Northover in an exciting tour around the site.
Jennifer shared how impressed she was.
“It will be a tremendous asset for communities to connect and enjoy a great recreational resource. I can’t wait for it to be finished.”
If completed in full, Te Whau will link Auckland’s two harbours, the Waitematā to the Manukau. Astoundingly, over 30 schools will benefit from the access it provides. At 12 kilometres, it’s two-thirds as long as the Northwestern Shared Path (20 kilometres). That’s right up there in terms of how much of the region it connects.
Jennifer continues, “I would certainly use this cycle path to shortcut between Te Atatu peninsula or further north, to access Kelston, New Lynn and surrounding areas, bypassing traffic, and congestion. Whether for work or for recreation it would be such a pleasant scenic route, and a healthy choice of commute.”
Te Whau Pathway also links up a vital loop, forming one side of a huge triangle around Avondale. The pathway will connect us not only to the Northwestern Path with its many destinations, but also to the Southwestern Path (via the Avondale New Lynn Path).
Te Whau Pathway’s beauty isn’t only skin deep. There is a beautiful idea behind it, too. Following an ancient waka transport route, it brings communities into contact with nature. But, crucially, it is carefully designed to leave minimal impact on that nature. This concern is warranted. The pathway runs through some of Auckland’s most biodiverse regions, including wetlands, rivers and native ecosystems.
Construction Project Manager Amy O’Donnell adapted a “build-over-the-top” construction method sometimes seen in construction of vast bridges in Asia. It’s the first time any project in Aotearoa New Zealand has used the approach. A special crane gantry, named Te Kōwhai Nui (Big Yellow) by local schoolchildren, uses the previous piece of pathway as its platform to construct the next one. This extends the path section by section over the water. This way, the engineers have avoided the risk of polluting the river by tracking through the delicate ecosystem.
Amy thought out the construction process carefully to minimise waste. Using cutting-edge digital tools to gain a deep understanding of the land, she was able to optimise the design to avoid sensitive areas, and thus avoid wasteful missteps. Despite her attention to detail, she is quick to stress that they enter unknown territory with each new pile (pillar). She explained that while the project is on target today, they keep contingency for unexpected developments as they go.
And where there is construction waste, the team have thoughtfully repurposed it. The team have been able to return sand to the quarry and repurpose aggregate for various other Auckland Council projects in West Auckland.
“We’ve used leftover timber and pallets to build garden beds for a local school. Instead of discarding pile offcuts, we transformed them into benches and public art,” says Amy.
The crucial question though, is will it work for people on bikes, scooters, wheelchairs, and on foot? Jennifer believes it will.
“There is provision for stopping areas, for walkers and cyclists to enjoy the scenery. A lot of thought is in planning for safe connections with entry points, and we could see the safety issues to be considered connecting with the northwest cycleway where the gradient and turn need to be designed with care.”
As well as practical, Jennifer appreciates the care given to making Te Whau an attractive asset for locals and visitors alike.
“I am delighted to see the amount of thought given to design and artwork. There has been considerable consultation with local communities.”
The northmost section of Te Whau Pathway (marked ‘Area 1’ of section 5 on the map above), connecting Glendene to Te Atatū South, is due to open in late 2026. We can’t wait.
