Trelissick Park Loop Track

  • Walking
  • Mountain Biking
  • Dog Friendly
  • Circular Track (Loop)
Difficulty
Easy
Length
3 km
Journey Time
2 hrs
Region
Wellington/Kapiti
Sub-Region
Wellington City
Track maintained by
Wellington City Council

Wander the fern clad Kaiwharawhara Stream gorge along what was once the main route north for Māori. View the historic magazine building and fish ladder along the way.

Trelissick Park follows the Kaiwharawhara Stream down Ngaio Gorge. The area was extensively milled for tawa and rimu in the mid-nineteenth century. But now the 20 hectare park is regaining some original native elements through natural regeneration and the hard work of the local care group. Wander the tracks that connect to the Northern Walkway route through Wellington and explore the historic magazine bunkers and nearby gun emplacements.

 

The park was once a route for Māori and early Europeans travelling from the harbour to Porirua.

Near the bottom of track there are historic gunpowder magazines dating from the 1870s.

Trelissick Park is named after the Cornish estates of Captain Daniell, who settled in Ngaio in the 1880s.

Look for the first entrance to Trelissick Park on your left as you go up Kaiwharawhara Road towards Ngaio Gorge. Enter the park and, following the Kaiwharawhara Stream, go past the old powder magazine store and continue upstream.

Keep an eye out for eels in the stream and kaka feeding in the remnant native forest areas. You will come to a junction where you will see a steel bridge. Walk past the bridge and follow the signs for the Sanctuary to Sea Walkway.

You will soon walk up a reasonably steep but short track to a bush-covered ridgeline. Continue on the ridgeline track, Sanctuary to Sea Walkway.

Look for a sign on your left pointing the way to the fish ladder. This is a mechanism to help fish swim upstream. If you go to look, you will need to return the way you have come, as this is a dead end. From the ridgeline you will drop to the stream, passing over several bridges. You will come to a point where the Northern Walkway leads you uphill. Take this track. Continue on until you return to the junction with the steel bridge. From here, head back down the stream-side track to the magazine store.

Conditions

Dogs must be on leads outside dog exercise areas. Please remember to clean up after your dog and dispose of the waste appropriately.

How to get here

Trelissick Park is easily accessible from several locations, just a few kms from downtown Wellington. Entrances are on Ngaio Gorge Road, Trelissick Crescent, Waikowhai Street and Hanover Street. A carpark is on Ngaio Gorge Road. For public transport options, check the Metlink website.

Transport

Accommodation

Food And Supply

Track Elevation and Map

More information

Trelissick Park Community Group

Wellington City Council

Mountain Safety Council Plan My Trip
Page last updated: 9/06/2023, 6:30 am