THERE’s now another walking-cum-bike track to help residents and visitors alike make the most of the great outdoors.
Stage one of the Googik Heritage Track between Port Macquarie CBD and the township of Lake Cathie via an inland, off-road cycling and walking track was opened last week.
The track is the western half of a loop, extending from Kooloonbung Nature Park to Lake Road, and along the western side of Kooloonbung Creek.
The track is a joint project with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. ‘Googik’ is the Birpai Aboriginal word for Jolly Nose Hill (Mountain), a prominent rocky outcrop located to the west of Lake Cathie.
Once complete, the Googik Heritage Track will link the Port Macquarie CBD to the township of Lake Cathie via an inland, off-road cycling and walking track.
Mayor Peter Besseling said the track was a fantastic addition to the existing network of bike tracks and walking trails in the region.
“The Googik Heritage Track offers a significant community benefit and achieves many local, state and national objectives – including promoting tourism, health, non-vehicular transport modes, community amenity, cyclist safety, cultural awareness and environmental interpretation,” Cr Besseling said.
The total project cost is $250,000, consisting of a $125,000 grant from the NSW Coastline Cycleway grants program matched dollar for dollar by council. The project is budgeted over two consecutive years with an expected completion date of 2015.
The total length of the track once complete will be around seven kilometres stretching from the Ocean Drive/ Lake Road intersection to the Lake Innes Peninsula area.
The track will cater to a mixture of tourist and resident use and complement the existing and future pedestrian/cyclist movement network.
The second stage will link Ocean Drive to the existing track network on the western side of Crestwood Estate.
