Last month, piling wrapped up on this section of the Te Whau Pathway, marking an end for Te Kōwhai Nui. This bespoke piece of machinery isn’t gone for good, though. When boardwalk sections need it in the future — and funding is in place — Te Kōwhai Nui will be brought out of storage to help with piling once more.
Te Kōwhai Nui holds a special place in our project’s story. It was named by tamariki from Freyberg Community School, many who are now at intermediate or high school. This local connection is why Freyberg students and teachers were invited to come down to Roberts Field / Horowai to say goodbye to the big yellow, a moment to acknowledge both how far the project has come and the role young people have played in shaping it.
Te Kōwhai Nui has also delivered real environmental benefits. As a bespoke travelling gantry system, it has minimised mangrove clearance and reduced ecological impact during construction, setting a new benchmark for eco-sensitive infrastructure. This work was recognised in November at the 2025 Civil Contractors NZ Auckland Awards.
As Te Kōwhai Nui pauses, momentum across the project continues to build. Interest in the Te Atatū South sections is growing as the pathway moves closer to opening in early 2026. As Amy O’Donnell, Project Manager at HEB Construction, puts it, the question on everyone’s lips is: “When is the boardwalk opening?!”
For the Freyberg Community School, this part of the pathway has been a long time coming.
“Our school has been looking forward to it for a really long time… so we’re really happy to kind of have it almost open and ready to go for our kids to use.”
— Maria Dopheide, Principal, Freyberg Community School
Work in Te Atatū South is ongoing but expected to wrap up in late summer 2026, with construction in Avondale scheduled to begin in January 2026. Neither stage requires Te Kōwhai Nui – so haere rā mō nāianei, Te Kōwhai Nui, Te Whau Pathway Environment Trust will keep working to bring you back for more sections!
Photos from 4th November 2025
