Proposed $15 million hospitality venue plans to make Wairarapa the 'Otago of the North'

Friday, 20 November 2020

A concept illustration of proposed Greytown development Pahikara which will be in the centre of town.

A multimillion-dollar cycling-inspired hospitality venture plans to make Wairarapa the “Otago of the North Island”.

Business owner and developer Adam Blackwell’s Pahikara concept for the centre of Greytown was aimed at the thousands of cycling tourists expected to visit the region in the coming decades.

Meaning ‘bicycle’, Pahikara is a proposed $15 million hospitality complex with a boutique cinema and cycle hire.

“Pahikara enhances the entertainment, dining and accommodation options in the town and is a tangible link to the cycle trail network,” Blackwell said.

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South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen says the region needs to prepare for its future tourism needs.

“Unlike so many other small towns in New Zealand, Greytown is enjoying strong economic growth. We see this concept as adding even more vibrancy to the centre of town, in a managed and controlled way.”

Wairarapa was the only Regional Tourism Organisation area of 31 nationwide to have year-on-year growth, according to data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Its tourism spend increased 3 per cent for the period ending September, while nearly all other areas experienced a significant drop.

Pahikara courtyard dining concept in Greytown.

Blackwell’s development was projected to create up to 40 full-time jobs and capture the burgeoning cycling market as Wairarapa’s trail facilities developed.

A major link in the proposed Five Towns Trail, a 150-metre bridge over the Tauherenikau River between Featherston and Greytown, was given the green light three months ago.

“This is really Wairarapa’s chance to become the Otago of the North Island for cycling if it gets the mix right,” Blackwell said.

South Wairarapa Mayor Alex Beijen was bullish about the district’s prospects post-Covid-19 and he saw cycling and dark sky tourism as the two exciting areas for development.

South Wairarapa and Carterton districts were in the process of applying to an international body to be declared official dark sky reserves.

“I think the two are intrinsically related in terms of nighttime and daytime tourist attractions,” Beijen said.

As Wairarapa’s cycling network links up and expands, there needed to be the tourism infrastructure to take advantage of it.

“It’s fantastic that someone is forward-thinking on what resources may be needed to enable that tourism to occur.”

Initial concept plans for the Greytown development identified suitable land between Main Street and West Street, including some land already owned by the Blackwell’s company Greytown Prosperity Limited and adjacent land owned by South Wairarapa District Council.

Council chief executive Harry Wilson said they had been approached but a decision had not yet been made on selling the land.

“We are simply exploring possibilities,” Wilson said.

Blackwell said they hoped to hear from the council before Christmas whether the land was available.

“If it is, we will proceed at pace, and if it isn’t, we’ll take the development to another location.”

His business Blackwell and Sons produces classic bicycles which are sold around the globe.

He said he would welcome more cycling businesses offering different ranges and services.