Colonial Knob and Paekakariki Escarpment

This past Sunday the weather was fabulous so Ross and I ended up hiking/walking almost 21 miles, counting the walk from the train station back to our flat and walking around the Wellington Diwali Festival a bit.  There were a couple hikes out by Porirua and the Kapiti coast (northwest of Wellington) that we were both interested in so we got the Day Rover train ticket (allows you to get on and off of the train as much as you want for the day) and went out exploring. 

Mana and Kapiti Islands from the Colonial Knob

We started off doing Colonial Knob, just outside of Porirua.  We took the Raiha Path as a shortcut from the train station to the trailhead for the Colonial Knob track.  The Raiha Path winds between buildings and football fields before crossing a wetland via a boardwalk and then dumping you on Raiha Street.  

There are three routes up Colonial Knob; we went through the Porirua Scenic Reserve and I highly recommend it.  You follow a stream up a steep, forested valley, gaining most of the 400 meters in elevation going up stairs.  You suddenly pop out of the bush and find yourself at a high point with gorgeous views over Porirua, as well as Kapiti and Mana Islands.  From here you continue along a road through rolling pastures for a couple more kilometers until you reach the 468 m summit of Colonial Knob.  We had great weather so we were able to see the South Island very clearly and we could even make out Mt. Taranaki (~200 km to the northwest) in the distance across the water.

First view over Porirua

South Island and pastureland 

South Island, Mana Island, and Kapiti Island from Colonial Knob
(Click on picture to enlarge)

Makara Wind Farm outside of Wellington with South Island mountains in the background

After lunch on the top of Colonial Knob, we meandered back into Porirua, got a snack, and debated our next move.  The weather was so nice and we still had a number of hours before the sun went down, so we decided to do the 10 km long Paekakariki Escarpment track too because why not?  

Looking south from the Paekakariki Escarpment track

Looking north along the Paekakariki Escarpment track toward Kapiti Island

To get to the trailhead, we got back on the train and continued northwest until we got to the Paekakariki Station.  The Escarpment track goes from there back to Pukerua Bay, which is the previous train stop.  The track follows the coast so the rail line and the highway are either right next to you or down a very steep slope from you for the majority of the hike.  There are gorgeous views of the coastline, going both north and south, the South Island, and Kapiti Island from the track.  The views mostly make up for being so close to the road and rail lines but you can hear traffic for the majority of the hike.  The track is very narrow and exposed in places, so it might not be the best idea if you have vertigo or on a windy day.  I am not super comfortable with heights and there were a couple places where I found myself leaning into the slope and pointedly avoiding looking down.  It is about a 200 meter climb up steep stairs to the high point on the track and there are two swing bridges closer to the Pukerua Bay end of the track.  Since we didn't start this hike until after 4 pm, we didn't see anyone on the trail after about the halfway mark. 

Tui on New Zealand Flax

From the high point of the trail looking toward Pukerua Bay

Ross and Kapiti Island

Me on one of the swing bridges

I really enjoyed both hikes but if you only have time for one, I recommend doing Colonial Knob.  It has more elevation gain than the Paekakariki Escarpment track but you get 360° views from the top and you don't have to listen to passing cars and trains for the entire hike.

Lamb!

These adorable little guys made us almost miss our train...

Tramping Week(end)

We are starting to get into spring here and have been having much nicer weather lately.  As such, Ross and I have gotten out walking around Wellington a lot more.  We joined the Wellington Tramping and Mountaineering Club this past week (fyi tramping = hiking, in case that wasn't readily apparent).  The group runs trips around the southern part of the North Island and the northern part of the South Island.  We are planning on doing a couple day trip with them later this month. 

Overlooking Breaker Bay from the Eastern Walkway

This past week we had some truly glorious spring weather so I went out and did the Eastern Walkway.  It has been on my 'to-do' list for a while but it is quite exposed to the wind so I hadn't made it out there yet.  It is located on the southeastern side of the Miramar Peninsula and is easily reached by bus.  It has great views of Wellington Harbor, Cook Strait, and Barrett Reef. 

InterIslander Ferry coming into Wellington Harbor

Looking out toward Cook Strait

At the western end/turn-around point of the hike is the Ataturk Memorial.  It is a memorial to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the first leader of the Republic of Turkey.  The site was chosen for its resemblance of the Gallipoli coast and was a response to the Turkish government building a commemorative site at Anzac Cove (and renaming the cove), which I find very moving and inspirational.  It is very impressive that two countries that were trying to annihilate each other 100 years ago as part of a larger conflict now both have memorials to the fallen soldiers from the 'other' side.  I think that many governments and people could learn a lot from the example set by Turkey and the Anzac countries.

Once down on the Coastal Road, you go past the Wahine Memorial Park.  As I mentioned in a previous blog, the Wahine was a ferry that became grounded on Barrett Reef in 1968 in a massive storm; fifty-one people were killed.

Looking across the Strait to the South Island

On a slightly less depressing note, the Eastern Track loop finishes out walking along the beach at Breaker Bay and then going around Point Dorset.  There are Maori historical sites and WWII gun batteries and observation points at Fort Dorset.  Both are well worth investigating.

As a side note, the beach at Breaker Bay is clothing optional.  You have been forewarned. 

Ross and I also did a hike yesterday in the Tararua Range with the Wellington Tramping Meetup Group (different from the club that we just joined).  The weather was on the rainy/overcast side but we ended up having a great time despite getting a little lost and having a ~7 mile tramp turn into a 12-13 mile tramp.  Once we got on the right trail we hiked up to Field Hut, and had a late lunch out of the rain.  We had originally been planning on continuing up to Table Top (1047 m peak) but we decided to scratch that with the poor weather and our later than expected arrival at the hut.   

Otaki River

Otaki River - where we ended up by mistake...

Good bushwhacking view of the river

On the correct trail toward Field Hut

Looking back at our scenic, river detour

In the clouds, admiring all of the different shades of green.

Field Hut in the clouds

Ross enjoying the rain.

It was really nice to meet some other outdoorsy people and explore some of the many trails outside of Wellington.  We will probably do more tramps with this group, though we will be bringing our own maps on future trips...