Robust river seats for trail

Users of the Hutt River Trail can look forward to funky new seats and picnic tables replacing the varied and tiring collection currently on the trail.

Robin Maud, of Hutt Rotary Club and convenor of the Hutt River Trail Operations Committee, unveiled the new design on the trail just north of Ewen Bridge last Thursday (25 March).

Mr Maud says the new seats and tables will gradually replace those that have appeared along the trail between Akatarawa and Petone over the past 20 years.

He says the group gets about four or five approaches a year from people wanting to donate seats or tables, often as a memorial.

This has lead to a lot of variety in look and longevity of the existing seats and tables along the trail. People wanting to donate seating will now be able to buy seats or tables from the new design.

They were designed to be comfortable, durable and to fit in with the river environment and use Hutt River rocks in gabion baskets, similar to those used in flood protection.

“Part of the brief is they should still be looking good in twenty years time,” says Mr Maud.

Much of the development of the river trail has been funded by the nine local Rotary Clubs working in partnership with Greater Wellington, Hutt City Council and Upper Hutt City Council.

Over the past twenty years the Rotary Clubs have raised or co-ordinated a million dollars of funding for the trail.