A new "scenic" inter-terminal walkway route is opening at Auckland Airport today, as construction ramps up for its multi-million dollar integrated terminal project.
The new route for "the green line" is a 950m stretch of walkway linking the domestic and international terminals - beautified with large canvas panels displaying nature walks across Aotearoa.
Auckland Airport said the new route was necessary to make way for the next phases of construction for the combined terminal, which is now 35 percent completed and expected to be finished by 2029.
Chief operating officer Chloe Surridge said the old route connecting terminals ran through an area which has been marked out for the baggage infrastructure for the future terminal - which was why the new route was needed.
"The walkway now goes around the construction zones, to keep travellers safe," she said.
The walkway is about a 10-15 minute walk, and about 72 percent of it is sheltered through containers and parts of the Transport Hub.
Surridge said the container walkways may be re-routed over the next few years, as the airport moved through different phases of construction project.
Meanwhile, the inter-terminal shuttle bus will continue to run every 15 minutes between terminals from 5am to 11pm everyday.
Collaboration between DOC and airport
From the lush forests of Manawatu, to the snowcapped mountains of the Tasman Glacier, tourists can experience photos coming from the breadth of Aotearoa sceneries within the new 15 minute walk between flights.
Kat Lane from the Department of Conservation said she hoped the walkway can bring awareness to some of Aotearoa's lesser-known tracks.
"It's not just the great walks, there's quite a few of our lesser-known special walks, so the idea is that people who are walking alone this greenline might get inspired and think about their activities while they're here in New Zealand, or we're very optimistic that it might inspire some New Zealanders to try out some walks they've never done before," she said.
The 36 DOC tracks celebrated through the large canvas photos lining the walkway include the Goat Island Walkway in Auckland, the Tawhai Falls Track in Manawatū-Whanganui and the Kauaeranga Kauri Trail in the Coromandel.
RNZ
