Sponsored: May’s Local Legend, Rick Edmonds

Curve by curve and kilometre by kilometre, Rick Edmonds has made an indelible mark on Marlborough. His vision of connecting remote communities along the Sounds via safe walkways culminated with the Link Pathway running from Picton to Havelock – and now, as it continues growing, toward Nelson.

Two decades of literal trailblazing got Rick recognised as New Zealand’s 2021 Outdoor Access Champion. We are proud to add another honour: Marlborough’s Local Legend.

Concerned about the safety of not only his children biking to school in Linkwater, but also the lack of safe walking space for residents and visitors in the bays around Queen Charlotte Drive, Rick gained consent from Marlborough District Council to start construction.

Rick mobilised friends, neighbours, and farmers to help him start the laborious task of bush bashing and locating the original early settlers bridle path. Tools were begged and borrowed. The first part of the track between Anakiwa and Linkwater, and then through to the Grove, proved popular as both a scenic and an exercise track. With final sections built, usage rates skyrocketed.

The legacy project continues with an extension linking the Link Pathway to the Te Araroa Trail. Rick is out there, rain or shine, often to the detriment of his own business as an artist and often unpaid.

Rick has made, and will continue to make, a significant, lasting contribution to public access. Thousands of individuals and families, both national and international, have benefitted from his selfless dedication to completing this trail and his vision for future trails.