The Bike and Hike Northland Charitable Trust is governed by a volunteer board of trustees who bring a range of skills to the trust, with the day-to-day activities and management carried out by a dedicated and enthusiastic operations manager. Meet the team:
Rebecca Teal-Ireland
Chair
Rebecca joined the Bike & Hike Northland Trust as a Trustee in 2023, having first become involved in Northland’s cycling and trail network development through work on the Northland Twin Coast Cycle Trail business case in 2017. Since then, she has maintained a strong interest in the role that walking, cycling and trails play in connecting communities, supporting tourism, and encouraging healthy, active lifestyles.
Rebecca has a background in transport consultancy, asset management and GIS, including experience on projects investigating trail feasibility, business cases and regional transport planning. Her professional involvement in active transport projects has strengthened her appreciation for the social, economic and environmental benefits that quality trail networks can deliver.
Outside of work, Rebecca is a keen trail rider and enjoys dragging her three children out on family bike rides. She is committed to expanding off-road trail opportunities across Northland and promoting the region as a leading cycling and walking destination. Through Bike & Hike Northland, she hopes to help connect existing and future trails into an accessible regional network for communities and visitors.
Clare Davies-Colley
Trustee
Clare is an experienced SME Director of over 25 years. She is actively involved in management and governance in companies with interests in property developments, marine developments, leasing, and engineering. Clare is committed to good governance practices and ensuring sound financial management in all types of organisations, including those that are community funded. Clare joined the Trust in 2018.
Clare is a keen e-biker, enjoying both the Whangarei shared paths and trails.
Having experienced recreational trails throughout NZ and abroad, Clare’s aspiration for Bike and Hike Northland is to improve the facilities, infrastructure and quality of the walking and cycling experiences available in Northland, both as economic drivers for the region and for the health and wellbeing of the community.
Arwen Page
Operations Manager
Arwen has worked across many large corporates initially in Geographic Information Systems, business analyst roles and human resources. Originally from Whangarei, she returned with a young family after 20 years away in other parts of New Zealand and overseas. The attraction was to allow her children the benefit of a rural upbringing close to the best beaches in the world.
Arwen grew up hiking around New Zealand and then started cycling as a mode of transport whilst at university. As mountain bikes developed and the network of trails increased, so did her passion for mountain biking. In Auckland she regularly participated in road cycling and joined the two disciplines through participation in numerous multisport events. As her children got older, mountain biking became the core of all the family holidays. Part of the thrill of cycling is in exploring new places, and now that the kids have left home, she is increasingly looking for bikepacking adventures.
Cycling offers a wonderful sense of freedom and independence. It is good for both the mind and body. Arwen believes everyone should have the opportunity to be able to explore the world by bike and feel safe in doing so. This requires good infrastructure and trails, cycle skills and a society that recognises and values cycling as a form of active transport and recreation. In her role as Operations Manager at Bike and Hike Northland, Arwen hopes to help move Northland towards a region that embraces cycling in all its forms.
Cliff Mail
Trustee
Cliff is an enthusiastic cyclist and hiker who is involved in track construction and conservation work in the Kerikeri area. He also assists a number of local nonprofits with their digital presence. Cliff joined the Trust in 2024.
In recent years he has cycled the Tour Aotearoa and Sounds to Sounds routes and completed a 7,300 km unsupported circuit of Aotearoa on a tandem with his wife, Ruth, during the summer of 2024/25.
Having experienced the health benefits of an active lifestyle, he is committed to working with Northland communities to acquire the infrastructure and skills necessary to encourage greater participation in hiking and cycling.
Tracey Dalton
Trustee
Tracey (Trace) is the Trail Manager for Pou Herenga Tai / Twin Coast Cycle Trail, Northland’s only great ride. She brings experience in cycle trail management, tourism development, governance, marketing and stakeholder engagement, with a strong focus on practical outcomes for Northland communities.
Trace has a genuine interest in cycling, walking and exploring Te Tai Tokerau, particularly the way trails connect people with our landscapes, communities, culture and history.
She would like to see Northland recognised as a leading biking and hiking destination, with quality, connected experiences that encourage active lifestyles and create benefits for communities across Te Tai Tokerau.
Grant Burns
Trustee
Grant was born and bred in Whangarei, returning in 2007 to take up his current position as principal of Tauraroa Area School. This has equipped him with a wide range of administrative skills, as well as keeping his focus on developing opportunities for the youth of Te Tai Tokerau.