10 minute read
REMUTAKA Cycle Trail
BEST FOR: Losing yourself in the natural and industrial remnants that surround our capital.
PETONE to ŌRONGORONGO
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2-3 days/114km
Starting on the edge of Wellington Harbour, the Remutaka Cycle Trail flits between urban townships and untamed wilderness, meaning you’re never too far from a strong latte and a wild landscape.
From disused train tracks to historic settlements, pockets of human activity hint at an industrial past, while rugged coastlines, lakes and river valleys allow for a total retreat into nature. As intrepid as the ride may sound, there are no major hill climbs and the tracks are mostly flat. With several access points, day rides are just as feasible as the entire two to three-day shebang.
Flirting with the seaside, Petone’s fondness for good coffee, food, fashion labels and craftmanship nurtures a lively and innovative spirit. Head to Jackson St to experience the best of it. Venturing into Hutt Valley, often referred to as Wellington’s ‘big backyard’, the terrain gets noticeably wilder, and by the time you reach the Remutaka Range, the only noise left is natural. This forested trail traces an old railway line and includes a 6584m-long tunnel and a 90m swing bridge over Siberia Gully.
Peddle on towards Wairarapa, where several townships offer hearty food, and by the time Wairarapa Moana (Lake Wairarapa) comes into view, the topography has changed yet again, into one of wetland and estuary.
The coastal road is often lashed by an unforgiving wind that gives reason to its shipwrecks and plenty of quake-made topography. At Turakirae Head, rocks once shaped by sea are now ruled by seals and it’s only a little further to Ōrongorongo River mouth, where pre-booked shuttles return to Petone and Wellington (or you can carry on along the add-on Wainuiomata Valley Ride back to Lower Hutt).
TRAIL INFO
TRAIL GRADES:
PETONE TO MAYMORN, 35KM GRADE 2 (EASY)
MAYMORN TO CROSS CREEK, 25KM GRADE 2-3 (EASY TO INTERMEDIATE)
CROSS CREEK TO OCEAN BEACH, 36KM GRADE 3 (INTERMEDIATE)
OCEAN BEACH TO ŌRONGORONGO RIVER, 18KM GRADE 3-4 (INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED)
MOBILE PHONE COVERAGE: Coverage is reliable throughout the Hutt Valley and in Wairarapa towns. There is some coverage beyond that – including around the coastal section – but it is patchy and should not be relied upon.
DRINKING WATER: Carry enough water for your trip, as after the first section there are no shops.
TYPE OF BIKE: A hybrid or touring bike will suffice on the Hutt River, Remutaka Rail Trail (Hutt side) and Western Lake Rd. A mountain bike is required for the Wairarapa side of the Rail Trail and the ride around the coast. E-bikes are welcome on all the trails.
Remutaka Cycle Trail © Caleb Smith
Riding the trail
PETONE TO MAYMORN, 35KM
Start on the northern shores of Wellington Harbour at the iconic Petone Wharf, just before the Petone Settlers Museum, built to commemorate the region’s very early Māori and European settlement. Explore the area’s heritage with a pit stop in Jackson Street’s popular cafés and shopping strip, then follow the easy-riding Hutt River Trail through the leafy suburbs of Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt. You’ll find river side parks, cafés and playgrounds and local swimming holes dotted all along the way. When you reach Te Marua, you’ll leave the riverbank and follow a short 2km section of road to the end of the trail at Maymorn (the start of section two).
MAYMORN TO CROSS CREEK, 25KM
The second section of the Remutaka Cycle Trail follows an old railway route and the most popular section of this trail, established in 1878 as a connection between Wellington and the Wairarapa. The trail weaves through the Remutaka Range taking in historical sights along the way. You’ll plunge through restored rail tunnels, cross the historic ‘Howe’ truss bridge (1876) spanning the Pakuratahi River, and pass through old rail yards before a gentle climb through native bush and plantation forest to the ‘summit’. Then, it’s a downhill ride along the historic Fell Locomotive Incline with an exciting half-kilometre journey through Summit Tunnel (1877) and the new Siberia Gully suspension bridge. At the bottom of the hill you’ll emerge at Cross Creek, where you’ll enter the wide-open expanse of the Wairarapa Valley. At Cross Creek you can choose to turn north-east on Western Lake Rd and continue to Featherston (10km), to catch the train back to Wellington or carry on to section three.
Remutaka Cycle Trail © Caleb Smith
CROSS CREEK TO OCEAN BEACH, 36KM
Starting at Cross Creek ride through quiet farm country along the shores of Lake Wairarapa and Lake Ōnoke to reach Ocean Beach on the shores of Palliser Bay. Your journey will take you south-west through ‘big sky country’, where sheep and cattle graze on lush farm pastures once home to some of New Zealand’s earliest sheep stations. You’ll then pass Lake Ōnoke, part of the Wairarapa Moana Wetlands Park, supporting more than one hundred species indigenous and migratory water birds. Along the way you’ll find cottage accommodation options which are great options to overnight on multi-day journeys and you also have an option to detour into Wairarapa wine country. Finally, you’ll arrive on the South Coast amongst rows of iconic Kiwi baches on Ocean Beach (the start of section four) before things start to get a little wilder along the coast.
OCEAN BEACH TO ŌRONGORONGO RIVER, 18KM
This is the most spectacular section with the rugged beauty of the wild south coast. It’s matched with equally big weather which can make the trail challenging in wind and rain – plus the trail surface can be rocky and sandy in short stretches. You’ll pass by Turakirae Head and see raised beaches formed by a series of tectonic uplifts over the past 7000 years and in winter meet some of the 500 fur seals that make their home here. Then ride alongside Ōrongorongo Station, one of the longest running farm operations in New Zealand, northwest to the mouth of the Ōrongorongo River and the car park signalling the trail end. Wainuiomata Coast Rd provides a link to more adventure on offer throughout the valley: to Baring Head lighthouse, Remutaka Forest Park, hospitality in the Wainuiomata township and a connection to the trail start in Petone.
Cape Palliser © TBS photogpraphy
Highlights of the trail
• A stroll along Wellington Harbour on a sun-filled day is the very definition of happiness.
• Hutt Valley composes of 3000 hectares of parks, reserves, bush-clad hills, beaches and walkways, with the cheery dwellings of Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt just minutes apart.
• The 221m-long Maymorn Tunnel grants an alternative starting point to the trail.
• Taste all-natural sparkling spring water from the fountain that resides on the corner of Petone’s Buick and Jackson sts.
• Petone’s trendy Jackson St boasts a collection of hip cafés, art galleries and boutiques.
Wellington Harbour © Positively Wellington
• Discover the world’s only remaining steam powered Fell Locomotive at the Fell
Locomotive Museum, along with a rich railway heritage, in historic Featherston.
• Bird lovers should incorporate a stay at Te Rakau Birding and Cabins. Offering tours as well as accommodation, the area is flush with our feathered friends.
• Earthquakes and land movement have sculpted this area. Look for Kotumu Fan, the largest rockslide on the trail, although in reality you can’t miss it.
• Turakirae Head is home to hundreds of kekeno (New Zealand fur seals).
• The best detour you can take will be to Wairarapa wine country, for obvious reasons! Martinborough is in south Wairarapa and features small, locally-run vineyards with over 20 boutique cellar doors.
Biking in Martinborough © Destination Wairarapa
COFFEE fix
Café culture is alive and wellin Wellington. Stop at one ofthese top five coffee spots fora caffeine fix.
1. Milk Crate: A bijou café just offlively Cuba St, if the robust coffeedoesn’t wake you up, then thebright yellow interior certainly will.
2. Lashings: Specialising in a comprehensive brownie and ice cream menu, every creation is crafted by the owner, a former pastry chef.
3. Bicycle Junction: It would be rude not to, all things considered. This bike shop-cum-café is affectionately known as the bikery and serves great coffee in between bike services.
4. Prefab: Always heaving, this café channels an industrial interior, with a large indoor and outdoor seating area. The coffee is roasted on site.
5. Ti Kouka Café: Traditionalists will appreciate this inconspicuous coffee shop, hidden upstairs on Willis St. Simple but sophisticated with an emphasis on good, local produce.
Milk Crate © Nicola Edmonds
More mountain biking, please
The hub of Wellington’s vast mountain biking network, Mākara Peak’s tracks, range from flow to whoa! A massive hill around 15 minutes’ drive from Wellington, the purpose-built Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park was established in 1998 and is now a first-rate attraction. With over 40km of tracks in 250ha of regenerating native bush, the park offers great variety for such an easily accessible location.
You can bring the whole family for a cruise around easy-grade Koru and Lazy Fern, get some berm action and spectacular summit views on the intermediate trails, or tear into the gnarly, technical trails if you’re an expert.
A great sampling of Mākara Peak’s intermediate and advanced tracks, the Grand Loop is a popular circuit. Built and maintained by dedicated volunteers, the 12km loop takes in the summit and plenty of sweet single tracks with challenges for the more experienced rider.
The summit of the 412m-high peak is reached on a single-track climb that’s not too taxing. After taking in the sweeping views of city and sea, you have the choice of trails graded between 3 and 6 for the start of the homeward run. The wide Peak Flow is designed to be the easiest descent from the summit, while Trickle Falls (Tricky Falls) is one of the most technical. If you can’t make the first drop-off with confidence, turn back as it only gets worse.
Mākara Peak can get busy at weekends and during public holidays, so if you like some space, an early, late or weekday ride is your best bet. The Mākara Peak Mountain Bike Park’s main car park is 1km down South Karori Rd.
Cycling Mākara Peak © WellingtonNZ.com
24 hours in Wellington
This is what a perfect day in our small but mighty-fine capital looks like.
MORNING
Wellington Waterfront is one of the loveliest land-to-seascapes in New Zealand. Start by embarking on the Wellington Writers Walk, combining an esplanade stroll with sculptures and quotations from New Zealand’s best wordsmiths. Stop for a coffee at Tuatua Café, a hole in the wall coffee bar complete will tables straddling the promenade. From this sun-soaked boardwalk, it’s just five minutes further to Te Papa, New Zealand’s internationally acclaimed museum.
LUNCHTIME
With a rumble in your belly, head to Wellington’s Te Aro district. Specifically, Hannah’s Laneway (between Leeds and Eva sts). Dubbed the tastiest side street in the city, this central food haven hosts Fix and Fog, the cutest window-in-the-wall store with peanut butter samples, as well as Wellington Chocolate Factory, a bakery famed for its salted caramel cookies, a brew bar and a myriad of shabby-chic eateries.
Wellington © WellingtonNZ.com
AFTERNOON
Next on your list is a Wellington must-do. Climb to the top of the city on board the iconic red cable car, marvelling at LED-lighted tunnels and of course, city-spanning views from the summit. Soak up the serenity of the Botanic Gardens and learn more about Wellington’s tramways at the Cable Car Museum.
EVENING
For an aperitif this evening, descend on a little-known speakeasy called The Library. Found upstairs in Courtney Place, it’s packed to the rafters with well-loved books. From here, it’s a 10-minute walk to Cuba St. This quirky strip of bohemian stores and boutiques is mixed with an endless choice of dining options. Peruse the shops, many of which are open late, and then duck into your chosen venue for dinner.
The Library © Nicola Edmonds
