South Island

Founded in 2013 World Off-road Riding Department is a youth mountain bike charity based in Wellington and Wānaka, Aotearoa providing amazing life changing term programmes and holiday camps for kids age 7-17 years old.

The Kawatiri Nature Environment and Communities Trust (KNECT) and the Buller Cycling Club are establishing a spectrum of trails throughout the 1000 acre native bush clad hills of Gentle Annie, a special spot just north of Westport on the South Islands' West Coast.

The construction of the 12 km Lake Brunner Scenic Trail is now over the half way mark. The track is making its way through pristine native forest on the western shore of the lake. Coastwide Films Ltd has put together a neat wee film on the project.

The Marlborough Mtb Club manages an extensive network of trails and in 2023 requested some 'loose change' from the Slush Fund to cover the short fall on their purchase of a 1.7t digger. The digger was put to work immediately, readying the trails at Homebrook and Wither Hills for the club to host the 2023 Skoda National School Mtb Champs.

Bike Wānaka with the help of a bunch of volunteers are transforming the current Lismore Bike Park into an epic facility for the whole of the Wānaka two-wheeled community to enjoy.

In late 2021 OneFortyOne NZ generously allowed community access to their Kainui Nth Forest to build mtb trails. A small crew of dedicated volunteers in collaboration with the MTB Trails Trust have been busy creating tracks for all abilities, and Kainui Bike Park was officially opened in December 2022.

On their small piece of land on the outskirts of Alexandra, Neil & Katrine Gellatly are building trails for mtbers, runners and walkers. The hard schist rock-thyme-tussock and sweet briar country of Badlands drops 140m down to the mighty Clutha River.

The Hanmer Springs Mtb Club might be small in membership but has a trail network under its wing that is used all year round by holidaymakers from across the motu. The Ground Effect Slush Fund donated $2000 towards an eBarrow to help move material about on the hilly terrain.

The spring rains always make the grass grow and riding the trails in Christchurch's Port Hills feel a bit like skiing in a whiteout. Taylors Escape is often trimmed from tip to toe with the Slush Fund-ed brush cutter by Dave Mitchell & co. 

The North Avon Christchurch BMX Club is a small group of passionate volunteers behind the new asphalt pump track at the Bexley Reserve in Eastern Christchurch. The Ground Effect Slush Fund supported their recent crowd funding campaign with a $1000 contribution.

The Mtb Trails Trust based in the top of Te Waipounamu is charged with ensuring tools and resources are available to look after existing trails as well as create new ones. The trust approached the Slush Fund for $700 to purchase an electric hedge trimmer for their new volunteer tool shed at St Arnaud.

Damian Stones and his video camera capture construction of the new 'Butters' grade 5 trail in Nelson.