A cycle trail connecting two Fiordland towns is one step closer to completion.

Fiordland Trails Trust has gained consent to construct a new 5.4km section of its Lake2Lake Trail, solving an issue where users had to cycle on State Highway 95 between Balloon Loop and Supply Bay Rd.

Trust chair David Boniface said his group was uncomfortable with that arrangement, and settled on a compromise for the new section of track after a preferred route through the national park faced challenges.

“Our trail numbers have grown so incredibly in the last five years, particularly since Covid, that we just needed to press on, so we have.”

Once complete, the Te Anau to Manapouri route will feature around 30km of uninterrupted off-road cycling.

But the required work also comes with a big bill, and the trust is now gearing up to raise funds to the tune of $600,000 for the new section.

Boniface said the figure was a large hurdle because the trust wasn’t able to borrow money, but a team was “beavering away” with a goal of starting construction in 2026/27.

The trust was “very thrilled” to gain a non-notifiable consent, he said — something it achieved through the support of affected parties such as DOC, Fish & Game and Te Ao Mārama.

And once the connecting piece was complete, attention would turn to extending the trail further north with hopes of one day reaching Te Anau Downs.

By that point, the whole network would extend to around 55km in length.

Boniface said the trust was made up of 10 volunteers who had completed their work with limited funding.

“But we just press on and build what we can afford.”

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air