The rugged hills and coast around Wellington provide plenty of opportunities to get outdoors. Some of our favourite places to escape to are the Skyline Walkway, the Otari Botanic Gardens, the various bush walks in Wilton, Makara Bay, Te Awarua O Porirua, and Plimmerton.
While these places differ hugely, ranging from wild, exposed coast to colourful gardens to dense native bush, there’s something uniquely Wellingtonian about all of them. It is hard to put your finger on it… perhaps it’s the inescapable steepness of the hills, or how rugged the coastal beaches are, covered in stones, shells and piles of driftwood. Whatever it is, it makes exploring Wellington feel like a real adventure, even when the city is directly in sight.
Skyline Walkway
The Skyline Walkway passes through Wellington’s north western hills, traversing up and down the ridgeline for some spectacular views. The trail runs between Makara Road in Karori and Johnsonville, but there are several entry points, so you can choose how long you want to walk for and which section you want to cover. These photos were taken at the Karori end of the walkway, and we started our walk at the Makara Road trailhead and exited in Karori.
If you’re short of time, the top of Johnston Hill, which peaks at 360 meters and has 360 degree views, is a good place to base your walk around. Have plenty of time and strong calves? Give yourself about six hours to complete the whole trail at a walk, or take your bike for a quicker (and more exhausting) expedition.
Otari Native Botanic Gardens
If you’re interested in native New Zealand plants, the Otari Native Botanic Gardens is a must do. Otari is the only public garden in New Zealand dedicated to native plants, and it includes flowering bushes and trees that are hard to find in the wild, or in most private gardens. The garden also connects to the Wilton Bush Reserve, the only remaining stand of ancient forest in the Wellington region.
The Otari gardens start with a treetop walkway a couple of minutes to the west of the main car park, then open up to a stunning series of both rare and common native plants. If you haven’t visited already, go in spring or summer to see the plants in flower.
Wilton Bush Reserve
If you start at the Otari Botanic Gardens, continue down the hill to reach the Wilton Bush Reserve. There are several walking tracks in the reserve, but we chose a loop to the west that followed the edge of a very steep bush-clad ravine, connected to one of the Skyline access tracks.
This particular track loops back to an 800-year-old rimu tree, the oldest in the region. As you stand admiring the tree, consider that this rimu and a few others nearby are all that remain of the pre-colonial ancient forest. (You can also feel a little better knowing that much of Wellington and its surrounding hills are now growing regenerating native bush).
Makara Bay
Makara Bay is a rugged beach that often has strong winds, about thirty minutes’ drive from central Wellington. The main attraction is the Makara Walkway, which runs around the coastline to the south for about 15 minutes, then heads up to old gun emplacements 200 metres above sea level. The walk is only about 5 kilometres return, but it is steep in places, and when the wind is really blowing is certainly has an air of adventure. You can also walk for several hours in a loop, taking in a wind farm and Opau Bay, before coming back along the coast.
Te Awarua O Porirua
Porirua is to the north west of Wellington on the main highway. A major feature of the area is the lovely Te Awarua O Porirua Harbour, which roughly translates to ‘two tidal channels’. These photos were taken from the walkway that goes around the north side of the eastern channel, however there are other walking trails, including one to the south west on the other side of State Highway 1.
Plimmerton
Plimmerton is a small, picturesque seaside town about 25 minutes from Wellington. You can stop there on the way to Pukerua Bay and the Kapiti Coast, or just visit for the rugged coastline, cute village and cafes near the beach. Plimmerton is a good spot for wandering along the coast, and is particularly pretty in the early evening as you look to the west.
Want more Wellington travel ideas?
Check out Outdoor adventures in Wellington part 1!