The Pike29 Memorial Track, in honour of the 29 who died in the mine explosion, has been finalised.
The 65km route and huts will become a Great Walk in Paparoa National Park, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.
"This Pike29 Memorial Track has come about because of the families' determination that some good might come from the terrible tragedy which occurred on 19 November 2010," he says.
"This $10 million project is a huge undertaking and will be the largest new investment in a track since the Department of Conservation was created in 1987."
However, some families of the miners, whose bodies have never been recovered, criticised the track when it was announced in November. Anna Osborne, whose husband Milton Osborne was killed, said families were pushed into supporting the walking track.
"I find it distasteful. Nobody has gone into the mine to try to bring out our men. My husband is under that walkway and I think it's a sacred place. People should not be walking or cycling over it," she told Fairfax.
The track will go from Blackball to Punakaiki, including part of the existing Croesus Track and the popular Pororari River Track. It will include a 9km side track to the Pike River Mine, where there will be an information centre at the amenities area and a discreet memorial at the mine portal.
"The new track will be to Great Walk standards, include two new 20-bed huts on the Moonlight Tops and on a ridge between the Pororari and Punakaiki River catchments, and will be open to walkers and mountain bikers," Dr Smith says.
The Moonlight Tops hut site looks across to the Southern Alps to the east and to the Paparoa wilderness to the north. The sea can be seen to the west from a ridge near the hut site. It's possible to see the Brunner and Paparoa coal seams in the towering western escarpment on the crest of the Paparoa Range as well.
A highlight of the Great Walk will be crossing the top of the escarpment, with its expansive and dramatic views across the park, Dr Smith says.
The intention is to put the track and hut construction up for competitive tender when this work is complete.
A review is also underway of the Paparoa National Park Management Plan. The plan was overdue for revision and changes are needed to allow this new Great Walk, huts and information centre to be created.
The track is aimed to be finished in 2018.
Newshub.
