Student Bloggers

When I came to New Zealand I knew I wanted to bring my love of hiking with me. The little I knew of the country beforehand promised gorgeous mountain views and breathtaking sights, all of which I knew I had to find. And throughout my time here I’ve done just that. I was lucky enough to find like-minded individuals through my new university’s tramping club and international student groups, and these I was able to make hiking friends and even organize some hiking trips myself. Here are my reviews of just some of the hikes I have done in the area.

Mount Victoria

My review of hikes around Wellington would not be accurate if I didn’t start with the well-known Mount Victoria. This was the first hike I did in Wellington so it is fitting to start with it now. Mount Victoria is a must-see, and with such an easy trail, there is no excuse not to do it. Not only does it offer views out over Wellington harbor but houses some filming locations for Lord of the Rings (if that’s your thing). The mountain is also filled with many different trails so you can choose one fit to your skill level. This is an easy trail to get out into nature while still being in the city, and I hope to do it again before the end of my semester.

Brooklyn Wind Turbine:

I recommend this hike to anyone who comes to visit Wellington, regardless of skill level. I started from Victoria University but the actual trail doesn’t start until you reach Waimapihireserve. From there, you begin your ascent through the trees. Before reaching the wind turbine you arrive at a clearing strewn with concrete bunkers. Not only is the view of Wellington incredible from here, but the bunkers are a view of their own: boasting colorful graffiti art. Although any Wellington local will tell you that Mount Victoria is the hike to do in Wellington, in my opinion, this hike has even better views (granted it is a bit more difficult). From here the trail becomes quite steep as you head up to the wind turbine itself. You’ll be walking along the outer fence of Zealandia (a bird sanctuary) and can sometimes hear and even see some of the incredible bird life. On my trek up I saw some kākās in the trees above me! The steep incline is well rewarded at the top as you stand minuscule in comparison to the size of the turbine. Although the view from here isn’t quite as good as the lower view from the bunkers, it is still worth the trek. Besides the rewarding sights I love this hike because you can spot the wind turbine from other mountain summits all around Wellington. It acted as a good anchor for me when trying to figure out where I was in relation to my Wellington home.

Mount Kaukau

I hiked this trail as part of something Victoria University’s tramping club affectionately called “Weeknight Walkies”, where a tramping club leader would guide a hiking group on Thursday evenings. Not only was this a great way to get out hiking when I didn’t know the area too well, but it also helped introduce me to other hiking friends. We took a quick bus ride up to Khandallah Park where we began the hike. Not only was the sunset spectacular but our student guides' local knowledge came in handy. In his time in the area, he had come across a cave in the side of the mountain that he expertly led us into to show us the weta, which was something akin to New Zealand cave crickets. Tons of them crawled above us in the dark as we shone our headlamps ahead of us. This was a crazy cool experience, if a little creepy, and something I definitely wouldn’t have gotten to do without a local’s knowledge. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Even without the cave addition this hike was truly gorgeous, looking out over the tree-filled hills and down into Wellington harbor. You can also see the Brooklyn wind turbine from Mount Kaukau Peak!

Once I got my bearings and began to meet more and more like-minded hikers I decided it would be fun to lead my own trips! I reached out to fellow trampers I had met through the club and other international students who I hadn’t had the chance to meet yet and created a determined group. The first trip I led was to Paekakariki, New Zealand.

Paekakariki Escarpment Track

Over the first few weeks of my time in Wellington, I had been hearing a lot about this track in international student hiking forums and had been desperate to check it out. Unfortunately none of the times the others proposed worked with my schedule, so I decided to create my own group! We took a train up from Wellington to the start of the track in Paekakariki where we began our hike. Overall it was a great hike with incredible scenery, following the Kapiti coast we wove our way up and down the hills overlooking the water. Fair warning: this trail is nicknamed the stairway to heaven for a reason, there are a LOT of stairs to navigate. Each step is well worth it though. The trail is about six miles with a 1200 feet elevation gain so I would say it is a moderate hike but we all managed it with no problem. This track also holds a swing bridge! Not only was this an incredible hike, but I got to know new friends by organizing it, people who I would end up seeing a lot of in my time in Wellington.

Pari-Whero- Red Rocks Loop

With my first organized excursion a success, I moved on to planning my next one! This time we decided on a hike a little bit harder than the first. And immediately starting out, this hike was indeed harder. The very beginning of the trail started up at such a steep incline we struggled to get up the hill, but of course, we managed it. From there we steadily climbed up the hillside, fending off pokey plants for the incredible views out over the countryside. The first half of the loop boasted the entirety of the elevation gain as we followed the tops of the hills and came in at about 1260 feet. Although this hike was only five miles in comparison to Escarpment’s six, this hike was physically much harder. As we came down from the hills we walked a little bit up the coast to see if we could spot some of the seal life. It is a little bit off the trail but a must-do if you come for the hike. We were lucky enough to spot many seals hidden behind the rocks and in the water! Then we began our leisurely walk along the coast back where we watched sunset from the car park. We could also see the south island from the coast (and the turbine from the hills), which helped place us. It is also rumored that you can see the southern lights from here sometimes, but we unfortunately did not see any so I make no promises.

Overall hiking in New Zealand has been an incredible opportunity for me. It immediately made me feel more at home here as I got to bring something I loved over from my home country. It also helped me get to know my new home and learn the differences in the natural scenery of New Zealand versus Colorado, namely that it is a lot greener and that I don’t have to watch out for bears or snakes! On top of all of this, it was an incredible way to meet new people, bonding in our love of hiking. And getting the opportunity to organize group hikes and excursions helped me be more confident in my new home. I’m excited about the hikes I will do with the rest of my semester!