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...