Bike Adventure Trail launched at North Ainslie Primary
Riding around a school oval hardly sounds like an adventure, but the bike trail at North Ainslie Primary isn't your average path.
Thanks to fund-raising by the school's Parents and Citizens Association the oval is now home to a purpose-designed adventure trail with mounds, logs, rock features, and mulched gardens featuring drought and high-traffic tolerant native species.
North Ainslie Primary School year 5 and 6 students at the launch of the new adventure bike trail. Photo: Elesa Kurtz
And the school's students aren't the only ones who will benefit.
On weekends and after hours it's open to the whole community to use.
Education Minister Shane Rattenbury said the track was designed to help students further develop their bike riding skills and encourage more children to engage in physical activity.
"It's really important that we take every opportunity to encourage children to stay active and bike riding is an easy and fun way for kids to get a bit of regular exercise," he said.
"Encouraging children to exercise through their school years will help them to form positive, long-term habits to take into adulthood."
Stage one of the trail, designed by Anthony Burton and Associates and Makin Trax to incorporate existing trees, was launched on Friday.
Eventually the track will circumnavigate the whole school oval when two extra stages are opened.
Mr Burton, who is also a school parent, said he was excited to be involved in the project, which was four years in the making.
Already the number of students riding to school has increased.
"This concept was one that the school community and, in particular, the school children came up with," he said.
"We worked with their ideas to create something that the students are excited about, but that is practical, safe and deliverable.
"What started as a blank, open space has been transformed into a space that allows the kids to engage in imaginative play."