City to Sea Walkway

Perfect for finding your bearings in the capital city, whether you do this walk end-to-end or in small sections.

Where is it?

Start at Bolton Street Cemetery in the city and walk towards Island Bay on the south coast.

Terrain

City walking, town belt and bush tracks, pretty parks, quite hilly.

Grave news

Bolton Street Cemetery is made up of three separate cemeteries with gravestones dating back to the 1840s. It’s elegant, peaceful and beautifully maintained so take a moment to reflect before setting off on the walk.

Good to know

6-7hr; 12km

Reasonable fitness required

City walking, quite hilly

No dogs

TRACK OVERVIEW

Watching out for the orange trail markers, depart from the historic Bolton Street Cemetery before crossing the motorway on the Denis McGrath Bridge. Arriving in the formal rose gardens of the Wellington Botanic Gardens, 25 hectares of impressively grand planting, you’ll want to make some time to explore here before heading to the top on the Wellington Cable Car. Walk down the steps to Kelburn Park and through the grounds of Victoria University and onwards, down to Aro Valley past old houses clinging to the hillsides. Then you’ll go up through Central Park in Brooklyn before making a beeline for MacAlistair Park. Walk around the fringes of the Berhampore Golf Course before arriving on Tawatawa Bridge. This can be quite bracing when the wind is blowing but it’s also where you’ll discover some of the best views. This is also the steepest part of the walk, so ideal for a break to catch your breath. Once you see the Oku Reserve Trig, you’ll know you’re not far from Island Bay, which you’ll get to by walking down Shorland St.

Wellington Cable Car © WellingtonNZ

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