This is a great walk on the edge of the city. Dogs think it a great walk as there are rabbits to hunt. Takes about an hour with an option on a side trip to Owhiro Bay. It starts 5 minutes from the end of the Number 7 bus route.
Start at the end of Quebec Street, Kingston and go straight up the hill onto the track. There is a Maori monument on the right which you can visit at the start or end of the walk. But to walk, take the left hand ridge path which gives you a great view of Island Bay and the Cook Strait. At the extreme right of the horizon you may see South Island mountains on a clear day. (see the 2 pics below) Below you is a flat area – one of Wellington’s newest parks. It used to be a landfill area and has been recently planted with flaxes etc. Looking over your shoulder you can see Newtown, the hospital, Mt Victoria, the harbour and so on. It’s a great view. You are 170 metres above sea level here.
Continue along the ridge, down the steps, until you reach the water tank. Up to this point you have been on the City to Sea walk – but now you are going to veer off it, taking a sharp right, and doubling back. The path is going to take you around the side of the valley, eventually coming down to the flat park at the opposite side.
The track starts to undulate through gorse and native shrubs. All of this area has been clear cut of native forest and is beginning to regenerate. When you reach the further, more sheltered side, the shrubs are replaced by smallish evergreen trees with contorted trunks and branches – tall enough to create thick, dark shade. It would have made a good spooky location for the Hobbits to travel through, looking over their shoulders for Ring Wraiths.
There is a population of very vocal Tuis here plus many other birds both native and introduced. Is that possibly a Saddleback call? Or is it a Tui imitating a Saddleback? They sound like they might be good mimics. We are only a few minutes flying time from Karori Sanctuary here, and of course while the fence keeps the pests out (I imagine that at night the cats, rats and possums line up outside the Karori fence with drool dripping from their fangs) the birds are allowed out to play – or indeed they can choose to leave home if they wish. So you never know. I think I might have seen a Fern Bird once on this walk – though a “not confirmed” sighting. http://www.sanctuary.org.nz/
A good range of native plants can been seen, including small ferns (rather than tree ferns) – until you reach an area of closely planted pines. A stark demonstration of the way pine needles mulch the ground and discourage anything else from growing. Who needs weedkiller when you have pine needles.
When you reach level ground you will see the local conservation nursery, and realise that many of the native plants you have passed have planted as a result of their voluntary work. They are doing a great job.
Your path back up the hill is directly opposite you, to the left of the Rest Home which you can see on the edge of the houses. So you can amble around on the flat park, with its newly laid out paths, keeping a look out for birds, or head straight across to start climbing.
A detour at this point is possible to Owhiro Bay, if you bear right and follow your nose downhill for about 15 minutes. There is a shop there. The bay is always full of gulls resting or having a much needed drink and bath in the stream - after picking over the current landfill area further up the valley. The stream on the beach is also a nice bathing spot for dogs.
But if the coast doesn’t tempt you, the climb back up to Brooklyn is a short cardio workout for those of us aspire to be averagely fit. It’s just over 100 metres climb. (Which doesn’t sound very much – but it’s similar to climbing up all the stairs in a fairly tall building I guess.) The first bit of the track is a little rough – but I saw someone coming down it with a baby buggy today. At the top of this section, turn left onto the vehicle track and you will soon be back at the water tank. And it just keeps on going up. Including the steps – over 100 of them - which you descended earlier.
If you can keep going and enjoying the view, without stopping, retching or taking on oxygen, I pronounce you officially “reasonably fit”. Those people who run up or carry their mountain bikes up count as “very fit” in my book.
Start at the end of Quebec Street, Kingston and go straight up the hill onto the track. There is a Maori monument on the right which you can visit at the start or end of the walk. But to walk, take the left hand ridge path which gives you a great view of Island Bay and the Cook Strait. At the extreme right of the horizon you may see South Island mountains on a clear day. (see the 2 pics below) Below you is a flat area – one of Wellington’s newest parks. It used to be a landfill area and has been recently planted with flaxes etc. Looking over your shoulder you can see Newtown, the hospital, Mt Victoria, the harbour and so on. It’s a great view. You are 170 metres above sea level here.
Continue along the ridge, down the steps, until you reach the water tank. Up to this point you have been on the City to Sea walk – but now you are going to veer off it, taking a sharp right, and doubling back. The path is going to take you around the side of the valley, eventually coming down to the flat park at the opposite side.
The track starts to undulate through gorse and native shrubs. All of this area has been clear cut of native forest and is beginning to regenerate. When you reach the further, more sheltered side, the shrubs are replaced by smallish evergreen trees with contorted trunks and branches – tall enough to create thick, dark shade. It would have made a good spooky location for the Hobbits to travel through, looking over their shoulders for Ring Wraiths.
There is a population of very vocal Tuis here plus many other birds both native and introduced. Is that possibly a Saddleback call? Or is it a Tui imitating a Saddleback? They sound like they might be good mimics. We are only a few minutes flying time from Karori Sanctuary here, and of course while the fence keeps the pests out (I imagine that at night the cats, rats and possums line up outside the Karori fence with drool dripping from their fangs) the birds are allowed out to play – or indeed they can choose to leave home if they wish. So you never know. I think I might have seen a Fern Bird once on this walk – though a “not confirmed” sighting. http://www.sanctuary.org.nz/
A good range of native plants can been seen, including small ferns (rather than tree ferns) – until you reach an area of closely planted pines. A stark demonstration of the way pine needles mulch the ground and discourage anything else from growing. Who needs weedkiller when you have pine needles.
When you reach level ground you will see the local conservation nursery, and realise that many of the native plants you have passed have planted as a result of their voluntary work. They are doing a great job.
Your path back up the hill is directly opposite you, to the left of the Rest Home which you can see on the edge of the houses. So you can amble around on the flat park, with its newly laid out paths, keeping a look out for birds, or head straight across to start climbing.
A detour at this point is possible to Owhiro Bay, if you bear right and follow your nose downhill for about 15 minutes. There is a shop there. The bay is always full of gulls resting or having a much needed drink and bath in the stream - after picking over the current landfill area further up the valley. The stream on the beach is also a nice bathing spot for dogs.
But if the coast doesn’t tempt you, the climb back up to Brooklyn is a short cardio workout for those of us aspire to be averagely fit. It’s just over 100 metres climb. (Which doesn’t sound very much – but it’s similar to climbing up all the stairs in a fairly tall building I guess.) The first bit of the track is a little rough – but I saw someone coming down it with a baby buggy today. At the top of this section, turn left onto the vehicle track and you will soon be back at the water tank. And it just keeps on going up. Including the steps – over 100 of them - which you descended earlier.
If you can keep going and enjoying the view, without stopping, retching or taking on oxygen, I pronounce you officially “reasonably fit”. Those people who run up or carry their mountain bikes up count as “very fit” in my book.
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