 | The Coastal Track Two to three hours (8km) return from the quarry gate. Easy The Coastal Track follows the coastline from Owhiro Bay, past the old Owhiro Bay Quarry and Red Rocks (Pariwhero), to Sinclair Head (Rimurapa). Rimurapa and Pariwhero were made scientific reserves in 1983 and 1972 respectively, and are administered by the Department of Conservation. The land north of the 4WD track, from the quarry to Sinclair Head, is administered by the City Council. The track is easy and popular with all users. Care and courtesy should be exercised. Be wary of vehicles. See the grey panel on the right for more information on the seal colony and how Pariwhero was formed. |
 | Wind Turbine to Hawkins Hill One hour (5km) return. Easy This is a sealed road used by walkers, cyclists and those who use vehicles to reach private property and service the radar equipment. It is a 2km walk from the carpark to the summit and the start of the tracks to Red Rocks (Pariwhero) and Happy Valley. Squeeze past the gate at the carpark and follow the sealed road. An alternative route is to walk the first section on the perimeter track of the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, see further on for more information on the Sanctuary. The Brooklyn wind turbine was installed in March 1993 as part of a research project. Meridian Energy inherited the single turbine when the company was formed in 1999, and data gathered from the turbine has helped to shape the future of wind developments in other parts of New Zealand and Australia. The Brooklyn site was chosen for the wind evaluation project due to Wellington's 'higher than normal' wind patterns. The turbine is electronically controlled with microprocessors that automatically start, stop and monitor it. A telephone line is used to send data to a display screen at a remote control centre. The maximum output of 225 kilowatts is enough electricity for the equivalent of 60-80 homes. |
| | The Tip Track Two hours (6km) return. Average This walk takes you from the Happy Valley gate to the sealed road near the top of Hawkins Hill. The ascent is steep in places with a good place to rest half way up in the abandoned stockyards. This track is a favourite with mountain bikers and walkers. Look to the north and you can see the Living Earth plant and the Southern Landfill. This area is known as Carey's Gully, and is home to many of the City's key waste treatment and disposal assets. After you flush or pull your plug, your sewage goes through the City's 1,000 kilometres of sewer pipes to the treatment facility at Moa Point. Fully treated effluent goes into Cook Strait, and the remaining sludge is pumped via a pipeline to the Dewatering Plant operated by United Water International (in the centre). Wellington City has one of New Zealand's most advanced systems for disposal of sewage sludge. The sludge is mixed with green waste and turned into compost at the Living Earth plant. Living Earth uses an average of 25 tonnes of green waste per day and 55 tonnes of sewage sludge. This is waste that otherwise would be headed for our landfills. The Living Earth facility helps divert organic waste away from the landfills by turning it into a valuable commodity. It also helps reduce leachate and methane - both harmful pollutants. The Wellington City Council owns and operates the landfill itself. Each year about 100,000 tonnes of waste are received. As much as possible is recycled or reused, and the remainder is buried. Carey's Gully is named after Mick Carey, an early quarryman in the region. It is highly unlikely that he ever dreamed his named would be associated with some of the country's most advanced infrastructure! |
 | Red Rocks Track Four to six hours (9km) return This route starts north of the top of Hawkins Hill and finishes at Red Rocks (Pariwhero) and is steep in places. Add an extra hour (or 2km) by walking out by the Coastal Track and the quarry gates. Plan your trip carefully before attempting this walk. |
| | Radome Track Two hours return (4km). Demanding This route has a steep rough descent. The entrance is found just past the Airways Corporation domed radar station. Once in the valley floor, an alternative return route could either be by the Red Rocks or Te Kopahou/Bunker Track. Airways Corporation Radar Station: The dome built in 1990 holds both primary and secondary radars, and is part of a network of radar stations. The next one to the south is on Mt Robinson (near Picton) and to the north at Ballance (near Palmerston North). Radar and communications equipment is used to control aircraft from the Christchurch Air Traffic Control Centre and the Wellington Control Tower. |
 | Te Kopahou/Bunker Track Three hours (9km) return. Demanding The start of the track is reached by following the sealed road from the wind turbine carpark to the radome and by walking south along the ridge. At the end of the gravel road there is an intersection of two tracks. Facing Cook Strait, the western (or right hand) track passes into private property and permission of the landowner should be obtained before entering. The track to the east (or left hand) below the trig is the Te Kopahou/Bunker Track. It descends rapidly, reaching a saddle with a second intersection. Carrying straight on will bring you to the Te Rimurapa headland (Sinclair Head), classified as a Maori reserve and an early settlement site and the Rimurapa observation post dating back to World War Two. The New Zealand Army had an observation post on the headland - the derelict remains are still evident. This route from the trig to the bunkers is a steep 2km (4km return) and would take a further two hours return from the top. Remember to leave extra time for lunch at the bunkers as this is an excellent view point. On the way back you may decide to head into the valley at the saddle and come back either by the Coastal, Red Rocks or Radome tracks. |
 | Waipapa Loop One hour (2km) return. Demanding Use this track to link with Te Kopahou, Radome and Red Rocks tracks. The valley floor is a very pleasant place for a breather or lunch. There are some waterfalls in this catchment. |
 | Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Predator Fence Loop Track(the north east side of the track is also known as The Rollercoaster) 4 hours (9km) round trip. Average to demanding This is a challenging walk around the perimeter of the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. Loose rock makes walking slippery in a couple of steep sections. The walk provides panoramic views of Wellington Harbour, the south coast and the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary. The walk can be started at a number of locations including Wrights Hill, the wind turbine, from the end of Highbury Road, the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary Administration Offices, 31 Waiapu Road or at the end of Campbell Street next to the Scout Hall. It can also be done in sections. To the east of the carpark at the Administration Offices, Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, 31 Waiapu Road is a white rail fence. A sign posted, "Karori Sanctuary Circuit" points you in the right direction. Follow the path south, past two houses and along a short section of tarseal to a fence. There is a single track that zigzags up the hill before opening up to a 4WD track. Follow this track south to a fork in the road. The north track leads to George Denton Park on Highbury Road. The south track continues on until splitting again. Take the west track, which is for pedestrians, mountain bikes and vehicle access. The east side is for downhill mountain bikers. Both ends are sign posted. This tracks leads up to the wind turbine. At the wind turbine carpark head west. There is stile over the fence between the carpark and the dirt road which runs along the outside of the sanctuary fence. Follow the fence line south and then west around the ridge that separates the sanctuary and Te Kopahou Reserve. After about 30 minutes the undulating road reaches a low saddle linking Long Gully farm and the sanctuary's Faultline track, visible on the inside of the fence. Note the green tags on the sanctuary fence posts, these were sold to members of the public for $100 to raise money for the sanctuary. |
 | The walk continues along the dirt road, gently climbing towards Wrights Hill. Pass under the power pylon. Approximately 100 metres further on the track forks; take the first vehicle track west leading away from the fence. Head up to the parade ground, a grassy area levelled and cleared for use by the military in 1942 when building the nearby gun emplacements (see Wrights Hill overleaf for more information). Head back towards the sanctuary fence, 20 metres on and you come to a walking track heading north through gorse. This leads to the top of the hill to Telecom's transmission towers and the gun sites. Follow this path up to the road and head north past the transmission towers to the viewing platform. Take the track down the hill (under the viewing platform) and follow the Campbell Street fork two minutes later to bypass the extreme downward slope which follows the fence line. The bush track zigzags down the hill to the rear of the Campbell Street Scout den. To avoid the steep and difficult climb alongside the fence, follow the track through the revegetation site towards Versailles Street, up to the fence line at the top of the hill. The walk continues along the gently undulating dirt road for approx 15 minutes. |
 | Come to the point on the road where the sanctuary fence changes direction and drops down to the lower dam, sign posted "To Birdwood Street Steps". Leave the fence here and continue on through the bush taking the St. John's Pool track which zigzags down the side of the valley. At the first junction turn right, sign posted "Round the Fence Track" and head down to the Kaiwharawhara Stream. As you reach the stream you can see the Golden Crown mine which is 70 metres long. Head up stream to the boardwalk crossing at St John's Pool. |
 | St John's Pool George Alexander Troup, Mayor of Wellington from 1927 to 1931 bought 10 acres of land stretching down to the Kaiwharawhara Stream. Part of this land was given to the Bible class for tennis courts and a swimming bath which were officially opened in January 1909. The pool gradually fell into disuse and in 1933 the committees of the Kelburn and Northland schools had a new concrete dam constructed across the stream. A shallow pool, 2ft to 3ft 6in deep, 50ft long and 25ft wide complete with diving board and a path along each side for the use of swimming instructors, was formed. However, the newly constructed pool had a very short life. By 1937, Karori School had its own baths built and only those locals who knew of its existence continued to use the St John's Pool. The remains of the pool can still be seen today. Walk straight up through the bush onto Waiapu Road and the sanctuary office carpark. |
 | Karori Wildlife Sanctuary The sanctuary offers a wide range of walks for all ages and abilities. For first time visitors, a guided tour is recommended. Experienced guides are available during the day and night to share the secrets and developments of the sanctuary. Alternatively, you can guide yourself with the aid of a sanctuary map and spend as long as you like exploring. Day-time guided tours offer an insight into the valley's fascinating history - from dairy farming, gold mining and water reservoir to present day wildlife safe haven. Expert guides are knowledgeable about the wildlife and sanctuary's conservation plans. On the two-hour tour, you will walk through parts of the lower valley, which has two unique historic dams, historical buildings, Morning Star goldmine, bird feeding stations and many other attractions. Nocturnal tours take approximately two hours and encompass the dusk chorus followed by the distinctive calls of morepork, kiwi and weka. The sound echoing through the valley, while star gazing and enjoying the extensive glow-worm show, is a truly unique opportunity. Added to this, there is always the possibility of sighting a kiwi. |
