Wonderful Winter Walks

Get inspired by Wellington in winter by putting on your tramping boots and taking n some of the great walks around the region.by Ben Christie
Winter is here, and while some may lament the end of another summer, I for one am quite looking forward to it. Maybe it’s my descent into middle age but there’s something elegant and dignified about autumn – none of the hurriedness and sweatiness of summer; the population desperate to expose its flesh to the radiating sun. Summer is for the young. People feel compelled to hurl themselves around the place, while in autumn we can change down a gear – but it’s not yet time to hibernate!

Autumn is the season for the day walk or the afternoon stroll. When the leaves begin to change colour, the weather is cooler and there’s a touch of melancholy in the air as the days grow shorter. It’s a popular season with poets and painters.

There is a harmony in autumn, and a lustre in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been! – Percy Bysshe Shelley

So now it is the season to head for the hills, stretch the legs and take in the many great walks around Wellington. Abandon the treadmill and the cross-country skiing machine, it’s time to stimulate mind and body and get outside in this, the most meditative of seasons. Working alongside the Department of Conservation, we now present to you a small selection of some the walks you can do in greater Wellington that will refresh your body and soul!

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. – George Eliot

Colonial Knob

You’ll think you’ve sprouted wings when you reach the top of the 468m hill rising to the west of Porirua City. From this lofty perch on a clear day, you can view many other high points – from the Kaikoura Range in the south to Mount Taranaki in the north-west.

Cast your eyes northwards and you can see as far as Waikanae. Swivel them south and you take in the suburbs of Tawa and Johnsonville. Just below is the city of Porirua and its harbour – a unique drowned river valley – stretching out towards Paremata and the Pauatahanui Inlet.

The seaward outlook takes in Kapiti and Mana Islands and, on a clear day, the South Island.

Early Maori named this peak Rangituhi (sky glow). Viewed from the harbour at sunset on a summer night, the hills do indeed light up with a red glow.

In the late 19th century, two reservoirs were built in Colonial Knob Scenic Reserve to supply Porirua Hospital, but became redundant when the hospital was connected to the Porirua City water supply. Short walks lead through native bush to the old reservoirs.

Colonial Knob is also one of several remnants of a peneplain – an eroded landmass that existed 30-40 million years ago before it was raised by earthquakes and erosion formed the hills.

Location

The reserve is located on the hills west of Tawa and Linden.

Getting there

Access is via Broken Hill Road, off Raiha Street, which connects Kenepuru Drive and Prosser Street in Elsdon, Porirua. Colonial Knob Walking Track passes through the reserve, connecting the Broken Hill entrance with the Raiha Street entrance to Porirua Scenic Reserve.

Plan and prepare

The Colonial Knob Walking Track is steep in places but can be completed by people of most ages and fitness levels. The top section is exposed to strong winds, so carry warm clothing and take food and drink. The track passes through private farmland in places, so please keep to the marked route across farmland.

Makara Walkway

The high cliffs and spectacular views that are features of Makara have for centuries provided the people of the area with good vantage points for the defence of their land. Makara Walkway is a 6km loop, climbing to vantage points with spectacular views and returning along the beach.

A Ngati Ira pa site lies on the promontory at the western end of Fisherman’s Bay, and gun emplacements at the top of the cliffs mark the position of Fort Opau, which was garrisoned by 100 soldiers during WWII.

Location

Makara Walkway begins and ends at Makara Beach, 16km north of Wellington.

Getting there

The beach is at the end of Makara Road, which runs from the south end of Karori Road.

Plan and prepare

• Carry food and drink. The track does not go past drinkable water.

• Makara Beach is sheltered from southerly winds but very exposed to northerlies. The hilltops are especially prone to gale-force winds.

Matiu/Somes Island Loop Track

This track takes you around Matiu/Somes Island, offering spectacular views across Wellington Harbour to the Wellington and Hutt cities. You can hear the sounds of city traffic yet feel as though you’re the only person in the world.

Pause along the way to check out the island’s historic and ecological attractions, including introduced wildlife thriving in native vegetation that’s been planted by the Lower Hutt branch of Forest & Bird since 1981. It is also home to the wonderful native tuatara.

Location

Wellington Harbour.

Getting there

You can get to Matiu/Somes Island on the scheduled ferry service, which runs between Queens Wharf and Days Bay seven days a week, and also from Seatoun and Petone on Saturdays and Sundays (weather permitting). Or you can charter a ferry. If you arrive by private boat or kayak, please refer to DOC’s brochure Matiu/Somes Island by boat for more information.

About the area

Matiu/Somes Island is a predator-free scientific reserve. It is also a historic reserve with a rich multicultural history. It was the site of two Maori pa used in times of war as a place of refuge, and hosted enemy alien interns during wartime. It was fortified with anti-aircraft guns in 1942 but they were never used.

The island is open to the public from 8.30am to 5.00pm daily. All visitors are asked to check their bags in the Whare Kiore to prevent the introduction of unwanted pests.

Kapiti Island

Kapiti is one of New Zealand’s most valuable nature reserves, and the only large island sanctuary for birds between the Hauraki Gulf in the north and New Zealand’s southern outlying islands.

Nature reserves are areas set aside for the protection of native plants and animals, where human influence is kept to a minimum. Every effort is made to minimise the adverse effects of any introduced plants or animals that have managed to establish themselves on the island. Most people never get the opportunity to visit nature reserves because access to them is so difficult.

Kapiti is one of a few relatively accessible island nature reserves. It provides an opportunity for people to observe birds that are either very rare or absent from the mainland, and to see the recovery of vegetation after intensive modification over the last two centuries.

Private boats are not permitted to land or anchor at the nature reserve.

Location

Kapiti Island lies about 5km off the west coast of the southern North Island. You have the choice of two destinations, both of which require a visitor access permit from DOC:

• Rangatira, located near the middle of the island, or

• The north end located at the top of the island.

Rangatira

Follow short and easy, low-level tracks through the forest to view the bird life and see the historic whare. From the whare, two tracks (Wilkinson and Trig) climb through mature forest to the highest point of Kapiti Island, Tuteremoana (521m). Both tracks can be very slippery when wet and require sturdy footwear. Please take care, particularly on the way down. There’s a shelter with toilets at Rangatira Flats.

Wilkinson Track

• Steady uphill climb.

• Gentler gradient than the Trig Track.

Trig Track

• Steady uphill climb.

• Very steep and rugged.

• Requires a medium to high level of fitness.

Walking times

• Allow two hours to climb to the summit and 1½ hours to return.

• Tuteremoana summit is 20 minutes from the top track junction, where the Wilkinson and Trig Tracks meet.

Rangatira bird life

• Forest: tui, bellbirds, weka, kaka, kereru and North Island robins are common. Saddlebacks, hihi and takahe are also often seen.

• Shoreline: various shag and gull species, white-fronted terns, various oystercatchers and reef herons.

North end

You have the choice of two loop tracks that connect. They pass through grassland, shrub land and regenerating forest and coastline, and provide views of the freshwater Okupe Lagoon. A shelter and toilets are available.

Okupe Valley Loop Track

• Winds up a fairly gentle ridge through regenerating bush, leading along the ridge top to the north-western lookout.

• The track is accessed from the visitor shelter by following it around the edge of the Okupe Lagoon.

• Requires a low to medium level of fitness.

• Suitable for all-terrain prams.

Boulder Bank Loop Track

• Follow the coastline around the boulder bank.

• Closed from October to March due to seabirds nesting within the track’s vicinity.

North end bird life

• Shrub land and forest: tui, bellbirds, weka, kaka, kereru and North Island robins are common.

• Lagoon: scaup, grey teals and black swans are often seen. Royal spoonbills and brown teals can also be frequently spotted.

• Coast: shag and gull species, white-fronted terns, oystercatchers and reef herons.

Castlepoint Scenic Reserve

Castlepoint was named in 1770 by Captain Cook, who was struck by the similarities of Castle Rock to the battlements of a castle.

With its fossil-rich limestone reef and the magnificent 162m Castle Rock, Castlepoint is one of the most spectacular sites along the Wairarapa coastline. Long stretches of beach and a sheltered lagoon provide opportunities for a variety of water-based recreational pursuits, and the area has a rich natural history.

The reef, lagoon, sand dunes and Castle Rock are all part of Castlepoint Scenic Reserve. As well as protecting outstanding landforms, the reserve is the only location in the world where the rare, shrubby Castlepoint daisy Brachyglottis compactus grows; on the crumbled limestone of the reef and Castle Rock.

Frequently visited by several species of dolphin, as well as fur seals and occasionally small whale species, the reserve is also home to numerous seabirds. White-fronted terns, red-billed gulls and black shags inhabit the south end of the reef, and reef herons and black-backed gulls nest on the sheer cliffs of Castle Rock.

Location

Castlepoint is located on Wairarapa’s east coast, about one hour’s drive from Masterton.

Getting there

Turn right into Te Ore Ore Road on the northern outskirts of Masterton. This road becomes the Masterton Castlepoint Road and leads directly to Castlepoint.

What to expect

There are several walks suitable for most ages and fitness levels in and around the scenic reserve. All walks begin at the road-end car park.

Please note that the Castlepoint causeway and wind fence leading to the lighthouse have been removed. Access to and from the lighthouse is restricted by high tides and strong winds.


And that’s just a taste of the huge number of walks available to Wellingtonians, so now is the time to venture out and explore your region. We are spoilt for opportunities to commune with nature in all its glory, so don’t sit around and mourn the passing of summer. Let’s celebrate autumn!

Every season hath its pleasure; Spring may boast her flowery prime, Yet the vineyard’s ruby treasuries Brighten Autumn’s sob’rer time. – Thomas Moore