Ngā Ara Tūhono Charitable Trust

Guiding our Future

The Ngā Ara Tūhono Charitable Trust was established to lead, support, and sustain the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride. Our kaupapa is to complete and care for this nationally significant cycle trail network—connecting people from the sacred mountain to the sea through shared stories, community effort, and enduring partnerships.

What We Do

The Ngā Ara Tūhono Charitable Trust exists to ensure the long-term success, quality, and accessibility of the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride and other trail experiences across our region. Our principal purpose is to provide, promote, maintain, and govern trails and their associated facilities for public use—encouraging health, connection, and well-being through walking, hiking, cycling, mountain biking, and other non-motorised recreation.

We are committed to:

Supporting the development and enhancement of the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride, part of the Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails network.
Maintaining functional, safe, and high-quality trails, and on trail facilities for users.
Raising and managing funds to support the ongoing planning, operation, and sustainability of trails, facilities, and storytelling infrastructure.
Working in close partnership with landowners, iwi, and stakeholders to secure access, ensure good stewardship, and uphold cultural values.
Promoting community involvement across all aspects of trail delivery—from planning and building to guiding and celebrating.
Creating lasting benefits for local communities through enhanced social, cultural, environmental, and economic outcomes.

At our core, we believe trails are more than paths through the landscape—they are pathways that connect people, place, and purpose.

Support the Trails

We invite you to join us in completing this vision for our people, places, and visitors. You can support our kaupapa by:

Donating to help complete and care for the trail (coming soon)
Partnering with us through sponsorship or project collaboration, or become an official partner
Volunteering your time and expertise on the trail
Spreading the word—every share helps grow our trail whānau
Feedback to us - your our eyes and ears. Complete the survey, let us know if you see something that needs fixing, got an idea...

Together, we’re building more than a trail—we're connecting generations, landscapes, and communities from the mountains to the sea.

Our partners

We can't do this alone, along with our official trail partners, we receive support and partner with the following organisations to deliver great outcomes.

Our Values – Ngā Uara

Our mahi is grounded in the values set out in our founding Trust Deed. These guide our decisions, partnerships, and priorities every step of the way:

Respectful Reciprocity: Care for all, guided by guardianship (kaitiaki) and hospitality (manaakitanga)
Sustainability: Ensuring enduring outcomes
Quality: Upholding high standards
Community-Led: Driven by collective efforts
Welcoming: Inviting and inclusive
Positive Impact: Benefiting environment, culture, and society
Kaitiakitanga: Responsible stewardship
Whakawhanaungatanga: Nurturing meaningful relationships
Whanaungatanga: Embracing heritage and identity
Hauora: Holistic well-being
Tupua Te Kawa: Reflecting local values in connecting us to the awa
Toi Tu Whānau: Guided by ancestral wisdom