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Wellington Waterfront
Close by the Circa Theatre on Wellington’s waterfront you may see words written in concrete ……
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0.3km SLD* E of Wellington
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Queens Wharf
When ships deserted Wellington’s old wharves for a container terminal, the redundant wharf sheds, Bond Store and Harbour Board Offices were saved from possible demolition and now hum with new life. The 1891 Bond Store now houses the Museum of Wellington, City and Sea. A highly recommended visit for an insight into Wellington history. Admission is free.
The building housing the museum was once the Wellington Harbour Board Head Office. The French Second Empire style building was designed in 1890 by Frederick de Jersey Clere.
Also on the waterfront you will find cafes and restaurants,kayak hire, sculptures, the Writers Walk and Circa Theatre.
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0.4km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Oriental Bay, Wellington
A favourite promenade for Wellingtonians and visitors to Wellington especially on warm evenings and in the weekends. It has city and harbour views.If iyou are inclined you can join the queues at the icecream shop. Oriental Parade was named for one of the early immigrant ships to Wellington.
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1.5km SLD* E of Wellington
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Off Orangikaupapa Rd
Drive through the suburb of Northland to this small park which affords good views of Wellington City and the Harbour.
The Northern Walkway can be reached from here by following a track leading across the east side of Tinakori Hill. (20 mins).
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1.7km SLD* NW of Wellington
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Wellington.
Wellington's earliest suburb, still with numerous examples of 19th century architecture and adjacent to the Government precinct. Take a walk among its streets.
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1.7km SLD* N of Wellington
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Above Oriental Bay
Lookout with a view of Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Cook Strait that's truly panoramic. There is a memorial to US explorer Admiral Richard E. Byrd. You can walk here from Courtenay Place. It will take about an hour. Or you can go by car.
Robyn Harper (robyn_m_harper@hotmail.com) says: You can also take the Number 20 bus up to the Mt Victoria summit.
It doesn't run on the weekends though.
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1.7km SLD* SE of Wellington
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Waiapu Road (at the Karori end of the Karori tunnel), Wellington.
New Zealand's most ambitious conservation project.The sanctuary is a "mainland island" surrounded by a predator proof fence. Open daily.
The Karori Reservoir Tower and Store date from the 1870s and are listed on the Wellington City Council's Heritage Inventory.
This is a great place to take a picnic, enjoy walking in NZ bush and listening to the bird calls. Some of NZ endangered birds and animals are getting another chance here. It has wetas which are insects native to NZ. There are some living in a cave and others in man -made "hotels" hanging on trees.
TRANSPORT
Bus routes 3,17 and 18 all stop on the far side of the Karori Tunnel. From here the sanctuary is a 10-15 minute walk down Waiapu Road.
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Various entrances from Tinakori Rd and elsewhere.
The Northern Walkway passes through the Botanic Gardens and Tinakori Hill. But both of these places can be considered walking venues in their own right with several interlinked tracks to explore. Those in Tinakori Hill are somewhat steeper.
The Tinakori Hill section from the top of St Mary Street in Thorndon to Weld Street in Wadestown takes about an hour. There are wonderful views of the city and harbour.
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Denton Park, Highbury. At the end of Highbury Road.
From Denton Park children's playground take the path leading off the north side. It soon meets up with the Karori Sanctuary perimeter fence. Follow this up the hill. Listen to the birds in the sanctuary and get expansive views of the harbour and south coast as you climb the ridge. Allow 1.5 hours for the 5km return trip. The route is also part of a mountain bike trail.
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2.2km SLD* W of Wellington
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160 Wilton Road
Otari Native Botanic Garden is the only botanic garden in New Zealand dedicated solely to native plants. If Karori Reservoir is the dream, this long established reserve is the reality. There are well interpreted displays and a self-guided nature trail taking 30 - 60 minutes as well as longer walks. You can also picnic with the familiy and run about.
Barbeques are provided.
TRANSPORT
Otari is on a bus route 14 at 30 min intervals from the Lambton Interchange. (Route 14 runs from Kilbirnie to Wilton via Roseneath. Oriental Bay and Thorndon.)
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2.8km SLD* NW of Wellington
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Hatton Street
A 25 min climb from the car park at the end of Hatton Street to the top of Johnstons Hill is on a fine day rewarded with expansive views from Wellington Harbour round to the South Island.
If the weather is inclement the loop track offers an enjoyable walk in the shelter of the bush. A branch off the loop track leads round the hillside to Wilton Bush.
From the top of Johnston Hill you can join up with the Skyline Track.
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3.1km SLD* W of Wellington
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Off Campbell Street, Karori
This site was designed to host three 9.2 inch (23.3 cm) guns of a long range coastal battery intended to protect Wellington City at the time of World War II.
The 600 metres of tunnels are open to the public on Waitangi Day (6 February), Anzac Day (25 April), Queens Birthday (early June), and Labour Day (late October).
You can drive nearly to the top from where it is a short walk. There are grand views.
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3.2km SLD* W of Wellington
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Off Aston Fitchett Drive, Brooklyn
A demonstration turbine extracts the power from Wellington's wind. Get panoramic views of the harbour and the south coast. Walk 3km to Hawkins Hill Radar station. Various walking routes lead to the South Coast and Red Rocks.
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3.6km SLD* SW of Wellington
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Massey Road, Point Halswell
Marble monument to a New Zealand Prime Minister, sited on a headland giving broad views of Wellington city and harbour. Gummer and Ford together with Samuel Hurst Seager as consulting architect were the designers.
The memorial is a short walk up from the road.
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4.2km SLD* E of Wellington
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Rhine Street, Island Bay
Manawa Karioi is an approximately 12-hectare ecological restoration project on the edge of the suburb of Paekawakawa / Island Bay and associated with the Tapu Te Ranga Marae.
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4.7km SLD* S of Wellington
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44 Rhine Street
Bruce Stewart the driving force behind Island Bay's Tapu Te Ranga Marae built this enormous 10 storied house out of recycled timber with the help of unemployed Maori youth.
He argues that "Maori need a place to live Maori". In the course of providing this place he has built a notable structure with an anthropomorphic character.
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4.8km SLD* S of Wellington
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Makara Road
The Skyline Walkway offers spectacular views in all directions especially from Mt Kaukau the most visible high point in the Wellington Landscape..To get to the Southern end of the walkway take the bus to Karori West and climb up Makara Road or through Karori Park . There are exit places from the walkway at Johnstons Hill in Karori, in Ngaio, in Khandallah and in Broadmeadows. It ends in Johnsonville.
The Wellington City Brochure gives more detail
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Woodmancote Road, Khandallah
If it is hot in Wellington and a swim and a picnic is called for these baths (swimming pool) are the place. Situated in native bush with a walk to Mt Kaukau, the TV mast and picnic and play areas.
This is a non-heated pool. It has a babies and toddlers area . Kids love the outdoor freedom here and they seem to be able to play all day.There is a very good coffee shop within viewing distance of the pool. (Café du Park)
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5.3km SLD* N of Wellington
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Various starting points
Mount Kaukau is the highest point overlooking Wellington Harbour. Several walking tracks lead to the summit. The tracks are well formed and the view is worthwhile. One route leads through the Khandallah Reserve, another from Simla Crescent and a side track goes to Johnsonville. As the map shows, the train is handy if you wish to use public transport. The return distance is about 6km.
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6.1km SLD* N of Wellington
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Island Bay or Houghton Bay
From Island Bay (Shorland Park) to Oriental Bay is 11km and will take 4 to 5 hours.
Of course you can choose to do any part of this track which goes past the Zoo and Mount Victoria. For example the number 3 (Karori Park to Lyall Bay) bus will take you to Hungerford Road near where the trail leaves the South Coast at Houghton Bay.
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6.1km SLD* S of Wellington
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Queens Drive, Wellington South Coast
A steep walking track affords panoramic views from Wellington Harbour to the Cook Strait and the South Island.
David Colquhoun, (jonewman@xtra.co.nz) comments:
South headland walk information seems wrong. Can find no steep path in the vicinity indicated on your map (and I certainly read it as suggesting a path from the coast road - which there is not). There is a 4WD track from the cul de sac at the end of View Road, but it is significantly north of the point indiciated on your map. It is a great lookout though, and there is a little bronze plaque there to the founder of the reserve which is nice
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6.1km SLD* S of Wellington
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Oku Street, Island Bay
It is 12 kilometres along this walkway from Island Bay to the heart of the city and will take about six hours.
The Number 1 bus will get you to Island Bay. Climb Milne Terrace and then Oku Street to find the start.
The Pdf map shows the route which passes the suburbs of Berhampore, Newtown, Mt Cook , the Aro Valley and Kelburn and affords a lot of interest and some great views.
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6.3km SLD* S of Wellington
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Breaker Bay Road
and you are in a cage! For details see the website.From the car park at Maori Bay the track leads north out to Otakamiro Point where there are platforms and interpretative panels. Descend down to Murawai Beach and from the end of Motutara Rd take the Maori Bay track back to the car park.. The Gannets provide most entertainment in DecemberSnorkel with sharks in this adventure. You don't have to
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6.7km SLD* SE of Wellington
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Pass of Branda or Tarakena Bay
The Eastern Walkway extends along the southern end of Miramar Peninsula from the Pass of Branda to Tarakena Bay. The track is 2.5 km long and takes about one and a half hours to complete.
To get there from the city, take the No.11 Seatoun bus to the Seatoun terminal. The Ataturk Memorial is at the Tarakena Bay (Southern) end of the Walkway. From Tarakena Bay it is a 20 minute walk around the road back to the Pass of Branda.
The walkway is a good one to do when Wellington is in the grip of a Northerly wind as it is largely sheltered from this direction.
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6.9km SLD* SE of Wellington
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Start at Owhiro Bay
A flat coastal walk with views and geological and ecological interest. (9 km return).See fur seals and South Island mountains. Sinclair Head is a winter (May to August) "haulout" area for New Zealand male fur seals. They gain condition before the next breeding season.
The Wellington Explorer Tour will deliver you to the start of the Red Rocks walk or take bus no 1 or 4 to Island Bay, then 29 to Owhiro Bay Parade. The walk starts 1km away at the quarry gate.
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6.9km SLD* S of Wellington
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On the hillside at Palmer Head, on the Breaker Bay Road, Wellington.
Kemal Ataturk, the first president of modern Turkey, drew up the defence plans for the Gallipoli Peninsula, the scene of the military campaign which is regarded as a defining moment in New Zealand's history.
Beneath the memorial is a container of soil from Anzac Cove, Gallipoli. A short walk from the road leads up the hill to the memorial.
The memorial can be visited as part of the Eastern Walkway. (A round trip along the Walkway and back along the road takes less than 2 hours)
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7km SLD* SE of Wellington
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Old Coach Rd, Johnsonville
Migrant labourers carved out the road between late 1856 and September 1858. The three-kilometre section between Johnsonville and Rifle Range Road in Ohariu Valley is now protected. The road is at the Johnsonville end of the Skyline Walkway.
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7.8km SLD* N of Wellington
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Wellington Harbour
Great place for a kids day out. Take the East/West ferry from Wellington.
There are no shops so take your own picnic. Refreshments can be bought on the boat.Very good info centre. Walking tracks, graves,old lighthouse and quarantine station. Also remnants of gun implacements. Fossick on the rocky shore,see lizards basking in the sun and watch the birdlife.Kakariki have been released there.
MAF do ask you check for rats and mice in any bags that are carried on to the island.
Matiu/Somes Island was used as a temporary refuge in times of war in pre-colonial times. In the first half of the twentieth century it was the site of three defence facilities: internment camps for enemy aliens in both World War 1 and World War 2, a degaussing station (1942-45), and a heavy artillery battery (1942-44). Now it is being allowed to revert back to its native flora and fauna.
12 campers are permitted to camp in a former sheep paddock.
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8.4km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Burdon Gate Carpark, Muritai Road.
Walk or bike along this unsealed coastal road to the old Pencarrow lighthouse (2 hours return), Lake Kohangatera (3 hours return) or Baring Head (4 hours return). - Its more fun to bike - bikes are sometimes for hire at the start.
To get to the historic Pencarrow light take a side track (sign-posted) to climb the hill.
This coastline has claimed hundreds of ships. The wreck of the SS Paiaka (1906) is just past Lake Kohangatera.
Baring Head has rock climbing.
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9.2km SLD* E of Wellington
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Makara Beach
Initially this walk starting at Makara beach, takes you along the coast and then on a steep climb to the cliff top and past a WW II gun emplacement. Down the hill, via the road, you meet the coast at Opua Bay which is a good spot for a picnic. Scramble back along the water's edge. Footwear with ankle support is helpful here. Distance: 8km. Allow 2.5 to three hours. Enjoy Cook Strait views and observe the birdlife. As the map shows, the cliffs are steep.
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9.3km SLD* NW of Wellington
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The Esplanade
This is where the Wellington Settlers first landed. Join the parade and walk along the harbour edge. Divert on to the wharf to see if the fish are biting and admire the views across the water to the Harbour entrance. A favourite place for locals to park and eat their fish and chips.
TRANSPORT (from Wellington)
Bus routes 83 and 91,The Airport Flyer, stop nearby in Jackson Street, Petone.
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10.3km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Behind Eastbourne
Butterfly Creek is in the valley over the ridge from Eastbourne. Walking to the picnic place where the creek meets Gollans Stream is very popular with all ages. Several tracks will take you over the hill. The most direct is from Kowhai St and takes you to the picnic area in 45 minutes. A more picturesque route (the Muritai Park Track) is mostly in bush and takes one hour and 45 minutes to reach the picnic area. The track leaving from the Eastbourne bus barn gives great harbour and south coast views as you climb. It takes 1 hour 10 minutes to reach the picnic area. There are signs with maps and other information at each of the places where tracks start.
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10.7km SLD* E of Wellington
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Galbraiths Gully
The bottom of this native reserve which retains its original bush cover is the starting place for several walks of varying degrees of difficulty. A notice-board at the start explains each one.
A paved path to the left complete with steps and bridges was formed by Korokoro residents to take them up the hill in 1904. It had lamps installed in 1907.
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11km SLD* NE of Wellington
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State Highway Two
A bush haven surprisingly close to a main road. There are picnic spots and several short walks including one to a waterfall.
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11.7km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Off Maungaraki Rd
From this trig point gain panoramic views looking east and south across the Hutt Valley and down the Harbour to Wellington. Initially on leaving Maungaraki Road the route is up a private road. The trig point is sign-posted off this.
Puketirotiro is also the high point on a Hutt City Walkway which starts at the foot of the Korokoro hill in Galbraith's Gulley reserve. The walk is described at the start and will take about two hours return. There are steep sections .
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11.8km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Belmont Regional Park; Oakleigh Street entrance.
Descend a bush path to the upper Korokoro Dam and return on a loop track. Distance 6.5 km. Time about 1.5 hours. For longer walks a number of options are available, some with spectacular views. See the notice boards at the park entrance.
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12.7km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Catchpool Road off the Coast Road.
Walk on a gentle track through the forest, swim in the river and picnic at this park south of Lower Hutt. There is a DOC visitor centre near the gate where you can get background information on the park's history and its geology, flora and fauna. Barbecues (coin operated) and picnic tables can be found on the river flats. The Orongorongo Track starts at the east side of the carpark and after about two hours' walk a picnic spot can be found near the bridge over the Turere Stream. Return the same way. To get to the park entrance you'll need to drive as there is no convenient bus.
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14.4km SLD* SE of Wellington
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Rimutaka Forest Park - Off Wainouiamata Coast Road
Starting from the Catchpole Stream in the Rimutaka Forest Park the return trip to Mount Matthews in the Orongaronga Valley, takes about 5 hours for a moderately fit person. It is very steep in places, but not difficult.
Mount Matthews is 941m high and has 2 summits, one slightly lower than the other.
Tom Fulton Comments: I think 5 hrs return is optimistic. Perhaps 5 hrs from the car park (Catchpole) is more realistic.
Duncan Watson (duncanw@inthelight.co.nz) Comments: Tom is right, it is about 5 hours one way from the catchpool carpark to the top of Mt Matthews, ie 10 hour return trip.
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14.4km SLD* SE of Wellington
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Between Porirua and Tawa
Climb to 468 metres to get views in all directions. There are three routes up to Colonial Knob, offering a loop walk taking from three to five hours.
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15km SLD* N of Wellington
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Titahi Bay Road
Whitireia Park, in Porirua city, is a headland with commanding views over Mana Island and Porirua Harbour. Walkers can loop around the headland in 2-3 hours following a track around its edge. At the Titahi Bay end the route leaves the road from the end of Richard Street which is joined by a right-of-way to Lambley Rd. (see map). Onehunga Bay is a popular picnic/bathing spot.
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21.7km SLD* N of Wellington
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Pauahatanui Inlet
The Te Ara Piko Pathway is planned to encircle the Pauahatanui Inlet. By August 2006 7km (about half the total distance) was in place.
The pathway is a major project of the Plimmerton Rotary Club.
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23.4km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Grays Road
A 45-minute walk in a beautiful setting (1.7 km one way). This walk has the merit of being sheltered in a northerly wind. In the longer term it will form part of Te Ara Piko the walkway encircling the Pauahatanui Inlet.
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23.8km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Blue Mountains Road
The Beech forest on these 4 hectares of Forest & Bird reserve is part of the largest stand of beech in the Wellington region.
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25.1km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Paekakariki Hill Road
Picnic, walk, mountainbike and visit an heritage site at this regional park. You can also camp here. The battle site is on the loop track.
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28.9km SLD* NE of Wellington
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Pukerua Bay-Plimmerton
Follow the coastline between Pukerua Bay and Plimmerton on this 4.5 hour walk. See the Kaikoura mountains and Mana Island on a clear day. To ensure you have transport home, leave your car at Plimmerton Station and take the train to Pukerua Bay to start the trip. 12 km one way.
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30km SLD* N of Wellington
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Bridge Road
The full round-trip walk is 10 km and takes 3-4 hours, but there are shorter options as well. Two car parks are available as starting places.
The Bridge Road park gives you access to a shorter walk to the Birchville Dam that takes about an hour return. From Tulsa Grove it is possible to climb directly to Cannon Point to get spectacular Hutt Valley views. ___
Kevin Alekna (kevin.alekna@opus.co.nz) comments: This is a great walk from the Northern end, up the zig-zag track to Canon Point Trig. It then circles around to the South and down to an old, no longer used, water supply reservoir. The reservoir is stunning and the highlight of the walk.
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34.1km SLD* NE of Wellington
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| *SLD = Straight Line Distance |
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Wellington Writers Walk
Wellington Writers Walk
