Matairangi Skills Park
Wellington's central skills hub
Brief
Location: Mount Victoria - Matairangi, Wellington, New Zealand
Land Manager: Wellington City Council (WCC)
Trail Care: Matairangi Trail Builders
Trail Standard: New Zealand Mountain Bike Trail Design & Construction Guidelines - August 2022
Length: Within existing defined park boundary
This brief outlines the conceptual design for the Matairangi Skills Park. The core vision is to create a central, community-focused hub for mountain biking that serves riders of all ages and abilities.
1. Vision & Guiding Principles
The key principles guiding the design are:
Community Hub: Create a destination for mountain biking, similar to a modern skate park, that includes facilities and amenities for parents, spectators, and riders.
Eco-Conscious Design: Embrace an eco-conscious approach, with extensive native tree regeneration as a key feature that enhances the park's environment.
Controlled Progression: Provide a controlled and progressive environment for riders to practice features in a more visible and supervised setting than on the wider trail network.
Rider Development: Cater to a complete spectrum of user groups, with a primary focus on skill development for younger riders.
18 months - 5 years (Children): Developing balance and momentum (Balance Bikes).
5 - 10 years (Juniors): Developing pedal control, braking, cornering, and momentum (20"-24" Bikes).
10 - 15 years (Youth): Handling moderate gradients and jumps (26-27.5" Bikes).
15 - 24 years (Young Adults): Pushing skill limits (Full Size Bikes).
25 - 44 years (Adults): Mixed fitness and skill levels.
44+ years (Recreation Riders): Typically more risk-averse.
2. Key Trail Features
The park will include a diverse range of features to simulate features found on the local trail and support skill progression:
Progressive Jump Lines: Grade 2 through Grade 5. A starting platform may be required to achieve the necessary speed for a Grade 6 line. A mulch jump could also be included.
Progressive Drops: Grade 2 through Grade 6.
Technical Skill Sections: Rock gardens, simulated tree roots, and other natural surface features for skill development.
Timber Features: A variety of timber balance features of progressing difficulty, including the retention and refurbishment of the existing suspension bridge.
Dual Slalom Track: A purpose-built course featuring pump sections, bermed corners, and rolling jumps.
Return/Climb Trails:
Separate trails for beginner and advanced riders to minimise conflict.
Beginner climb likely on the eastern side (through trees).
Advanced climb likely on the western side (through trees).
Trails must balance a sustainable gradient with the understanding that users will often take the most direct route back to the top.
3. Site Considerations & Constraints
All designs will work within the specific opportunities and constraints of the site:
Primary Area: The main development will be focused within the current open grassy area, which is approximately 100m long x 50m wide, with a 10m drop (10% gradient).
Site Boundaries:
West: Avoid disrupting the existing trails under the trees.
East: Be mindful of potential future encroachment from the state highway.
South: The Southern Walkway must not be negatively impacted. It can be rerouted slightly uphill, but its current entry and exit points must be maintained.
Landscaping: Any retained grass areas must remain accessible for council mowers. Areas between trails will be filled with native plantings, using mulch which can also serve as a soft-fall surface. The new plantings will increase tree coverage and enrich and visually integrate with the neighboring regenerative efforts surrounding the Shuttlecock and Te Tuarā trails.
Access: Machinery access for trail maintenance must be preserved throughout the design.
4. Water Management
The design will responsibly manage water flow:
The current system channels water via two courses at the base of the hill into underground pipes, draining into the western gully.
The design must maintain this drainage pattern. The project will explore the option of "daylighting" the water, removing the pipes and using open, rock-lined swales to slow the water flow and manage it above ground into the gully (subject to confirmation).
Terrain ANALYSIS
The terrain was analysed using a high-resolution 1m LiDAR model and GIS software to identify optimal alignments for a mtb trails. Key factors included vegetation cover, elevation, slope gradients, and watercourses.
Satellite imagery
Satellite imagery, in conjunction with the site visit, was used to identify tree cover, which supports sustainable trail environments by providing shade, stabilising soil, and suppressing grasses. It also highlights infrastructure and water bodies to be avoided or considered.
The main project area is predominantly grass. As per the brief the plan is to change this to mulch with plantings, this will also prevent grass from inundating the trails.
Outside the main project area, thick tree cover provides good coverage.
Currently there’s no buildings or other structures in the area that would affect trail placement.
Height mapping
Shows 35.5m elevation at the bottom (north side) of the park, and 47m just above the southern walkway, 8.5m difference.
Side slope mapping
Uses colour coding to indicate suitability for trail placement based on the “half rule” of sustainable trail design, which recommends that a trail’s gradient not exceed half of the side slope’s grade. Areas under 10% slope are generally avoided due to poor drainage, areas exceeding 40% become progressively more expensive to construct due to rocky terrain, and above 60% can become geotechnically unstable.
The project area ranges from 0–60% side slope. Towards the bottom of the park it flattens out. Here water collects and its currently drained with pipework. As discussed in the brief, the plan is the build rock swales with native plantings to daylight the water. Track work should be minimised in this area unless elevated.
The main project area, currently open, has a slope of 10%. Sustainable grade 2 and 3 trails can be built here traversing the hill, however grade 4 and higher will need to follow the fall line to give enough speed. Adverse drainage effects can be mitigated by frequent grade reversals (jumps), raised ride surfaces, with the mulch acting to retain runoff.
Areas outside the main project area have side slopes above 20%, ideal for side drainage.
Terrain overview
LiDAR DEM Source: Land Information New Zealand - Wellington City LiDAR 1m DEM (2019-2020)
Date: 2020
Resolution: 1m
Highest point: 35.5m
Lowest point: 47m
Elevation Difference: 8.5m
Side Slope: 0–60%
Design
Start Pad
A congregation point for the community.
Elevated hardstand (eg compacted gravel) at 48m elevation, to give 9.5m of elevation in the park.
Picnic table
Balance features of mixed difficulty.
Drop Lines
Progressive drop lines to build confidence for features in the park.
Grade 3
300mm high
Grade 5
1000mm high
Grade 6
2000mm high
Jump Lines
From beginners to pros, jumps to suit all skill levels
Grade 3
25° Ramp angle
1.5m high
Table tops
Grade 5
35° Ramp angle
2m high
Rollable Double
Grade 6
2.5m high
45° Ramp angle
Timber ramp and gap to lander
Dual Slalom
Two identical, parallel trails, offer exciting side by side racing. The flow trail rewards; cornering, pumping and jumping skills.
Grade 3
Walking use
The network provides access to walkers, a popular activity in Matairanging.
The east boundary trail is used by riders to ascend back to the top. As they only travel at low speed, it makes it suitable to walk both directions.
From the bottom of the park, a new trail meanders through the new native plantings and makes its way to Shuttlecock in the North.
Next Steps..
This concept plan is a high-level visual guide to share the vision with Wellington City Council and the community and to get initial approvals.
After approval and any refinements, Advanced Trail Design will prepare detailed trail plans for construction.
References
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