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Dracophyllum Flat Track

01 March 2013

During the early part of 2013, Ground Effect took on a project to extend to the Drac' Flat Track (try saying that fast after a couple of cold ones) at Craigieburn Forest Park. The Craigieburn trails lie just an hour and a half (by car) west of Christchurch in the foothills of the Southern Alps. A blend of high country and beech forest singletrack, it is outrageously good mountain biking in a stunning location.

A burly bunch of Ground Effect staff and customers gathered for the weekend. Forty of us crafted over 2km of fresh singletrack, sweated buckets, replenished with beer, spent a balmy Saturday night at Forest Lodge, ate too much lasagne, squeezed in some riding and had a generally exhausting time. The Craigieburn Trail network is pretty flash now with over 30km of continuous singletrack between Broken River Ski Field and Castle Hill Village.

Thanks to Mt Cheeseman Ski Club for waiving the usual Forest Lodge fees and let us stay the night. Ground Effect made a donation to the Waimakariri Environment and Recreation Committee's wasp control eradication project instead.

Our friends the Castle Hill Village Community Association are behind the development of the Craigieburn trails and obtaining approval from the Department of Conservation to upgrade the existing tracks. Drac' Flat Track completes the link between the Hogs Back and the Sidle 73. The 'missing link' has since been nick named the Ground Hog trail. The riding is sensational. And in September 2014 the Slush Fund fired another $1000 at The Missing Link to help build a boardwalk over a boggy section on the track. Also check out the Coal Pit Spur Track - the final piece in this puzzle and Ground Effect volunteered to cut a new 2km section of trail.

All the info on building and riding the trails can be found at Craigieburn Trails. Check out the 'The Missing Link' video by Simon Waterhouse to get a taste of what awaits.

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