Embargoed – for launch on Wednesday 12 October

Bike’vember aims to get Wanaka walking and biking

A month long biking festival is gearing up to kick off in Wanaka and surrounding communities this November, with the aim of encouraging locals and visitors alike to ditch the car and walk or bike instead.

Bike’vember aims to have as many people as possible pledging to go by bike, foot or other people-powered travel during the 30 days of November. Anyone can pledge online at www.bikevember.nz or in person at the Spring Festival Bike’vember stall at Pembroke Park on Sunday 23 October or at the Dean’s Bank 10 hour race.

As part of their pledge to ride for the month of November, participants will be given a Bike’vember ‘passport’ which will be stamped whenever they attend any of the range of awesome events happening across the Upper Clutha for the festival.

This inaugural Bike’vember is a community campaign supported by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, Department of Conservation, Upper Clutha Tracks Trust, Lake Wanaka Tourism, Bike Wanaka and Good Rotations.

To get the party started and put more town bikes on the street, Outside Sports and Kahu Youth have planned a bike sale at Pembroke Park on 23 October as part of the Bike’vember programme. Bring down your old bikes and they will sell on your behalf with 10% donated to Kahu Youth.

There will also be a range of amazing events running throughout the month of November from a kick-off breakfast ride, and dress-up biking finale, family fun day, skills clinics, bike-in movie, bike maintenance clinics to a Jump Jam and forest enduro.

Bike’vember Coordinator, Jo Guest sees this as a great opportunity to get people on their bikes and out into the community. “Small towns like Wanaka and Hawea have such great biking facilities and active populations. We are hoping Bike’vember will get the community out on their bikes, enjoying our amazing environment and staying healthy while they’re at it.”

“We’re a feisty, fit and fun group of people and through Bike’vember we’ve now got the chance to prove that walking and biking is the way to go. This is the Upper Clutha’s opportunity to come together, to celebrate people-powered travel and make it part of our every-day lives.”

QLDC Councillor and Bike’vember co-instigator, Ella Lawton, is delighted to see QLDC and so many local businesses getting behind the event already. “This is a true testament to Wanaka’s commitment to working together and improving our environment, town centres and lifestyles we love. We’re looking forward to kicking the car habit for the 30 days of November and beyond, and I hope to see the rest of Wanaka out there with us.”

If you’re interested in taking part, please refer to www.bikevember.nz.

ENDS…

For a list of events and festival information please see www.bikevember.nz

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