The Eel on Te Awa River Trail
The third edition of Te Awa River Ride’s Light Night will take place next month, as artists continue to add new sculptures along the popular trail.
The new eel artwork with its smokey display and volunteers from left: Brendon Cameron, Penny and Mark Thompson. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Te Awa River Ride Charitable Trust trail manager Sarah Ulmer said more than 1000 people attended last year’s ride, which runs from Cambridge’s Gaslight Theatre to the Velodrome.
“We want to give the community a great excuse to get out moving together in winter and experience Te Awa in a completely unique way,” she said.
A Ngāruawāhia version – first held last year – will take place this weekend.
Getting ready for the rush are organisers and volunteers, from left Craig Rodger, Phoebe Ulmer (black helmet), Isla Trower (white helmet), Lily Cameron, Sarah Ulmer, Jen Palmer, Charlie Thompson, Emily Cameron, Louie Ulmer, Mark Thompson.
Participants are encouraged to walk, run, cycle, scoot, or use mobility scooters along the 2km Cambridge section of the trail.
At the Gaslight Theatre hub, attendees can enjoy food trucks, live music, and activities. A new addition this year will be Wag the Dog, a corten steel sculpture by artist James Wright, depicting a dog catching a frisbee. Originally located midway along the trail, it is being moved to the off-leash dog area near the theatre on Waipā District Council land.
The trust has also commissioned artist Jeremy Shirley to paint a mural on the side of the theatre, part of its vision to make Te Awa one of New Zealand’s great bike rides.
More sculptures are in progress as part of the Art on Te Awa initiative. One existing piece, also by Wright – a sculpture of a longfin eel, New Zealand’s top freshwater predator—has been installed below the Velodrome for over a year.
The longfin eel has lived in New Zealand for 80 million years and plays a vital role in the biodiversity of the Waikato River. Conservationists warn that the species is under threat due to habitat loss and lack of awareness.
“The eel is hugely important to our waterways, but it’s been so undervalued that it may soon be extinct,” said Ulmer.
Olympic gold medallist and Te Awa River Ride trail manager Sarah Ulmer on the Te Awa River Ride track between the Velodrome and Hooker Road. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Emily Cameron, Louie Ulmer and Lily Cameron behind the smokey eel, one of two James Wright sculptures on Te Awa. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
