Velodrome open for bookings

Published on 22 November 2023

With construction now complete, the Cooks Gardens velodrome is open for bookings.

“The inner circle of the velodrome opens up fantastic opportunities for different activities. It’s exciting to see what will be hosted there,” says Marianne Cavanagh, Whanganui District Council’s general manager of community and customer experience.

“Along with track cycling, the venue can be booked for different events such as car shows, concerts, fairs and markets. It has been closed for a while so to take this next step to activate the space, along with our key stakeholders and community, is an exciting milestone.”

The track closed in February 2021 when the existing hardwood timber track (installed in 1995) became a safety risk to users. Earlier this year, specialist contractors Velotrack replaced the track using Accoya wood, which goes through an acetylation process to give it a longer lifespan than ordinary wood. The Accoya wood was supplied by New Zealand company Hermpac.

“Its early days so there are still some finer points to work out on how the venue can be utilised, but we’re looking forward to collaboratively working with hirers on how their event needs can be met. I encourage anyone interested to contact our team.

“The Wanganui Cycling Club has been instrumental in reopening the venue and working through criteria of how the track can be used, and the council project team have put a lot of hard work into getting the track resurfaced and reaching this point where we can invite bookings.”

The new track is designed for use by local community members, local, regional and national elite cyclists, and future New Zealand Masters Games participants.

Bookings are essential and can be made through Whanganui Venues & Events, which also manages bookings for the Royal Whanganui Opera House, War Memorial Centre, Majestic Square and Cooks Gardens. To enquire about booking, contact the team on 06 349 0513, events@whanganui.govt.nz, or head to the webpage.