Wellington City
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Walking
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Dog Friendly
Te Araroa trail section: This section traverses the Botanic Garden, the City and around to Oriental Bay. There are many spectacular views of Wellington’s picturesque harbour, a wander right past the New Zealand Government Buildings and a walk down Wellington's "Golden Mile" shopping strip – passing outdoor shops in Willis and Mercer Streets: Kathmandu, Dwights and Bivouac (and near to Gordons on Cuba).
Botanic Gardens - 2km / 30 minutes
This section begins at the top of the Botanic Garden. From the north side of Cable Car terminal head north on a sealed level path past the Observatory and a sundial then downhill on the City to Sea Walkway. There are numerous garden paths but Te Araroa follows the City to Sea Walkway through the garden. You will pass various sculptures, go through native bush, pass a café, a large rose garden, a playing field and then head downhill through ‘Bolton St Memorial Park’. A pedestrian bridge takes walkers across the main city motorway, then leave the City to Sea by turning hard left.
Walk down past a white 12-storey high-rise building to Bowen Street. Just before the Bowen Street exit, take a minute to inspect the cutout steel sculptures dedicated to Te Araroa – these were unveiled in 2017 by the Mayor of Wellington.
Follow Bowen Street downslope to Lambton Quay, passing the New Zealand Government Buildings (aka "the Beehive").
City, Waterfront, Oriental Bay - 4km / 1.5 hours
This route begins at the corner of Bowen Street and Lambton Quay. Turn right and follow Lambton Quay (Te Araroa plaques in the pavement) through the main city shopping street (800m) until it merges with Willis Street. Follow Willis Street then turn left into Mercer Street. Cross Victoria Street and enter the Wellington Civic Centre. Walk through the centre and up onto a large carved-wood pedestrian bridge to the harbour. Descend the steps on the left, then turn right. Pass large white water feature and walk out to the waterfront. Turn hard right (south) and follow the wharf past the Te Papa Museum and the boat harbour. Continue left and follow Oriental Parade (and beach) to the far end (east).
- Note: In the city, the route is marked with brass plaques in the pavement. Along the waterfront, the route is not heavily marked, though somewhat obvious – follow the waterfront past Te Papa Museum to the far end of Oriental Bay. If you're thirsty, stop for a drink at a Te Araroa-themed drinking fountain en route.
Conditions
Potential hazards
- Vehicles on road or track
- Multiple Road crossings through the city
- Track exposed to sun, wind or cold
How to get here
Northern Start: Cable Car Terminus, Wellington Botanic Gardens
Southern End: Junction of Oriental Parade and Carlton Gore Road
Transport
- Interislander ferry to/from Wellington & Picton - multiple departures daily - P: 0800 802 802
- Bluebridge - P: 0800 844 844
- Air New Zealand - regular flights to and from Wellington - P: 0800 737 000
- Jetstar - P: 0800 800 995
- InterCity - P: 04 385 0520
- Rental Cars - multiple options available
- Mana Bus - P: 09 367 9140
Accommodation
Full range of hostel, motel and other accommodation providers including:
- The Cambridge Hotel - 28 Cambridge Terrace - Welcomes all walkers of Te Araroa, with a range of newly refurbished facilities to accommodate all sorts of budgets, from shared dormitory rooms, standard single rooms, to our Deluxe Ensuite rooms.
- Free bounce box storage with booking
- Receive your 10% discount on all accommodation, food, and beverage by using promo code "ARAROA" when making your reservation on our website.
- Contact us - E: bookings@cambridgehotel.co.nz P: 04 801 1950
- Trek Global Backpackers – 9 O’Reily Avenue, Wellington – E: book@trekglobal.nz – P: 04 471 3480 – Trek is stoked to offer a special rate for Te Araroa walkers to stay with us at our social hostel right in the city center of Wellington! We will be offering a $30 dorm bed rate for hikers who have supported/contributed to Te Araroa Trust. This rate will only be applied through in person or phone bookings (if you book online, you will not receive this discount) and beds can only be booked a maximum of one week in advance. We have daypacks for you to use, so you can slack pack to Island Bay if you want, and we also have some funky city clothes for you to wear while you wash your smelly hiker threads! Unfortunately, we do not have the space to store bounce boxes so please do not send these. Please call us to book and/or if you have any questions.
- YHA Wellington - 292 Wakefield Street - P: 04 213 7379 [Re-opened December 2022]
- Base Wellington - 23 Cambridge Tce - P: 04 801 5666
- BBH Lodge in the City - 152 Taranaki St - P: 04 385 8560
- Nomads Capital Backpackers - 118-120 Wakefield St - P: 04 978 7800
Food And Supply
Coffee Outdoors- 8 Marion Street, Te Aro, Wellington - kiaora@coffeeoutdoors.co.nz - Independent outdoor retailer in Central Wellington (and online) serving up ultralight gear and coffee while you shop. Offering Te Araroa walkers 10% off on in-store purchases.
Track Elevation and Map
Total 3 photos. Click image above to view them all.
More information
Wellington City
- i-SITE Visitor Centre - Civic Square, Cnr Victoria & Wakefield Sts, Wellington - P: 04 802 4860.
- DOC Visitor Information Centre - 18 Manners St, Wellington - P: 04 384 7770 - E: wellingtonvc@doc.govt.nz.
- Wellington City Central Library - 65 Victoria St, Wellington - P: 04 801 4040. You can get trail maps printed here - for a small charge.
Before starting Te Araroa either as a through-walker of the whole country or a section walker, please register on Te Araroa website. Please also visit the website or download the app for detailed maps, trail alerts and other relevant information.
We encourage you to continue gaining the skills and knowledge required for a safe trip. The NZ Mountain Safety Council has lots of free resources and information you can use. These can be accessed via www.mountainsafety.org.nz.
We recommend trying these online learning tools:
Additionally, check out the range of helpful videos available from the NZ Mountain Safety Council YouTube channel.
Page last updated: Mar 8, 2024, 1:37 PM