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Categories on this page: Best Walks, Bicycle Sites, Child Friendly Eco-Sites, Composting, Environmental Centres, Ferries, Great Views, Landfills, Marine Habitats, Native Fauna, Native Flora, Park'n'Ride, Parkland, Public Forest, Recycling, Traditional Ways of Life, Wind Energy Sites, and Zoos & Wildlife Centres.
Best Walks- Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush
11km of walking tracks weave through forest and open grass and nicpic areas, plus the 75m Canopy Walkway soars 18m above the forest floor.
See also Parkland entry.
- Red Rocks
See Native Fauna entry.
- Skyline Walkway
Runs North-South along the ridge line between Mount Kaukau and Chartwell.
- Southern Walkway
Runs 11km from Oriental Bay to Houghton Bay through Town Belt areas. A great ramble with some lovely views of the city and the harbour.
- Te Kopahou Reserve
A longer walk that takes you through Long Gully to the South Coast, then back through Red Rocks and Ōwhiro Bay.
- Wright Hill
Pleasant short walks.
- Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush
Bicycle Sites- Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park
Top quality and popular area with tracks from easy to expert.
Contact: Kennett Brothers
Phone: 499 6376
E-Mail:
- Red Rocks
See Native Fauna entry.
- Skyline Walkway
Runs North-South along the ridge line between Mount Kaukau and Chartwell. Enter and exit through Chartwell Drive or Sirsi Terrace—all other access points and link tracks are for walkers only.
- Southern Walkway
See Best Walks entry.
- Te Kopahou Reserve
* Includes the Roller Coaster along the Eastern fenceline of Karori Sanctuary;
* Hawkins Hill to Pari-Whero, Red Rocks: Follow the road past the Brooklyn Wind Turbine almost to the top of Hawkin’s Hill. As you approach the top you’ll pass a building on your left followed by another on your right. Go a futher 100m and turn left at the signpost, onto a 4WD track. From here the route is marked with red arrows;
* Tip Track: For fitness fanatics! Start at the tall steel gate below the turnoff to the tip and follow the green arrows.
- Makara Peak Mountain Bike Park
Child Friendly Eco-Sites- Island Bay Marine Education Centre
See Zoos & Wildlife Centres entry.
- Wellington Zoo
See Zoos & Wildlife Centres entry.
Composting
Environmental Centres- Department of Conservation (DoC), Papa Atawhai
Their mission is to ‘conserve New Zealand’s natural and historic heritage for all to enjoy now and in the future’.
Phone: 499 2300
Fax: 499 2301
Address: Level 3, State Services Commission Building, 100 Molesworth Street, Wellington City
Postal Address: PO Box 12416, Wellington
Ferries- InterIslander Ferry
Cook Strait ferry.
Address: Aotea Quay, Thorndon
Great Views- Brooklyn Wind Turbine
Great views over the city from the wind turbine.
Follow the road South from the turbine to Hawkins Hill for panoramic views over Cook Strait, the South Coast, and the South Island.
See also Wind Energy Sites entry.
- Skyline Walkway
On a clear day the panoramic views take in the Kaikōura Ranges, the Marlborough Sounds, Wellington City and harbour, and the Tararua and Orongorongo ranges.
See also Best Walks entry.
- Southern Walkway
See Best Walks entry.
- Wright Hill
Views over the city and Petone. Especially scenic at night.
Landfills
Marine Habitats- Taputeranga Marine Reserve
Site of the proposed South Coast Marine Reserve.
Native Fauna- Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush
Native birds are prolific with the possum and rat control programme in place, and include fantail, grey warbler, kererū, kingfisher, morepork, silver eye, and tūī.
See also Parkland entry.
- Red Rocks, Pari-Whero
Watch and smell the seals basking on the rocks during May to September. Please don’t disturb these resting creatures.
Māori legend has the red (whero) rocks being coloured by Māui’s blood when he baited his grandmother’s jawbone to fish up the North Island, Te Ika-a-Māui.
Open to everyone Monday through Saturday, no vehicles on Sundays.
- Southern Walkway
Pīwakawaka (fantails), riroriro (grey warblers), and tauhou (waxeyes) populate the walkway. Pīwakawaka will often be seen flying in your tracks as they catch the insects you’ve disturbed.
Native Flora- Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush
90 hectares of mature and regenerating native conifer forest includes mataī, miro, rimu, and tōtara. Its mature popocarp-northern rā tā forest is the only remnant of this once-common forest type on the Wellington peninsula—several rimu trees are 400 years old.
See also Parkland entry.
- Southern Walkway
Between 1924 and 1944 over 1 million exotic trees were planted in the town belt: Bishop’s Pine (Pinus muricata), Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata), macrocarpa (Cupressus macrocarpa), and various gums (Eucalyptus spp). Secondary vegetation is thriving in some areas.
Park'n'Ride
Parkland- Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush
Ōtari-Native Botanic Garden is the only botanic garden in New Zealand devoted solely to native plants. Wilton’s Bush is the last remnant of original native forest.
A place to learn about native plants, recreation, and conserving the natural environment.
Phone: 801 3071
E-Mail:
Address: Wilton Road, Wilton
Public Forest
Recycling- Southern Landfill—Enviro Park
On Landfill Road, near the top of the climb to the Southern Landfill (Happy Valley), the Enviro Park comprises a resource recovery centre, an education centre, and a junk art centre together with a recycling station.
Address: Happy Valley Road, Happy Valley
Traditional Ways of Life- Tapu Te Ranga Island
This island in Island Bay was a pā of refuge. The top of the hill was levelled off to form a lookout and a stone wall erected around the pā to aid in defence.
- Tapu Te Ranga Marae
The driving force behind this modern marae is Bruce Stewart, a former builder and Māori historian. The marae is an amazing 9 storey construction of recycled materials. Houses a Kōhanga Reo and the Manawa Karioi Bird and Bush Project, a challenging regeneration project that is transforming much of the surrounding hills.
Phone: 383 6235
Address: 44 Rhine Street, Island Bay
Wind Energy Sites
- Brooklyn Wind Turbine
Erected in 1993 to test the feasibility of wind-generated power. Generates enough to supply 80 homes.
If coming from town, turn right (uphill) into Todman Street at the Brooklyn traffic lights and follow the signs.
Contact: Meridian Energy
Phone: 381 1200
- Brooklyn Wind Turbine
Zoos & Wildlife Centres- Island Bay Marine Education Centre
The marine laboratory in Island Bay. Educational and fun.
Phone: 383 8285
E-Mail:
Address: 396 The Esplanade, Island Bay
- Wellington Zoo
Home to some of the world’s most unique and endangered animals including many native and exotic species: Kiwi, tuatara, and Sumatran tiger.
Open 9:30am–5pm daily.
Phone: 381 6750
Address: Manchester Street, Newtown
- Island Bay Marine Education Centre
List last updated 2004-08-23. For suggestions or corrections, please contact the web master.
Information valid at time of publication to the best of our knowledge. While every effort has been made to provide accurate information, this map and accompanying text is a guide only, and no liability will be accepted for errors or changes.
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