The screen location of Te Mārua cliffs, where a river flows against vertical cliffs on the foothills of the Remutaka Range.

A dramatic geological formation rising from the upper reaches of the Hutt River.

Te Mārua is a rural suburb of Upper Hutt, just 10 minutes from the city’s centre. Situated at the foothills of the Remutaka Range and beside , it is a stunning setting.

Te Mārua Cliffs, located in the upper reaches of the river, make for a dramatic riverbank, rising several metres vertically from the water. Different layers of sediment are on display.

The Hutt River Tail provides an easy, scenic walk and cycle path alongside the river, and access to it for swimming, fishing, and kayaking. Access to the cliffs is also possible with four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Just a short distance north are the two Stuart Macaskill water storage lakes. These are filled from the river and provide back-up drinking water for the Hutt Valley.

Location details

Jurisdiction Upper Hutt City Council
Permits required Yes, apply for a permit
Location descriptors Scrub, mossy, foliage, serene, wilderness, remote, untamed, uninhabited, vast, uncharted, isolated, solitude, rugged, natural, expanse, crags, escarpment, scenic, steep, elevation, cliffs, breathtaking, rock formations, rivers, streams, coastal cliff.

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Evans Bay Marina, at the south end of Evans Bay in Wellington Harbour, the marina provides spectacular views of the bay.

Evans Bay Marina

517 Evans Bay Parade, Hataitai, Wellington | 52Just five kilometres from central Wellington, the marina is beautiful and functional.

A short drive from the city is a stunning venue. Perched on a rugged coastline, it has sweeping views over the Cook Strait and the South Island.

Boomrock

292 Boom Rock Road, Ohariu Valley, Wellington | 5A short drive from the city is a stunning venue. Perched on a rugged coastline, it has sweeping views over the Cook Strait and the South Island.

The screen location of Oriental Bay, wth pastel-coloured, Art Deco apartments, brightly-painted boat sheds, and the golden beach.

Oriental Bay

Oriental Bay, Wellington | 86This inner-city beach is one of the capital’s best features, sitting along the Wellington waterfront.

The Taitā Rock swimming hole in Lower Hutt, with lush green bush surrounding a blue river and large pebbles on the shore.

Taitā Rock

High Street, Taitā, Lower Hutt | 90For decades, the Taitā rock area of Te Awa Kairangi Hutt River as been a popular swimming hole.

This clothing-optional beach is a good spot for scenic walks and wildlife spotting. At the western entrance of Wellington Harbour, picturesque Breaker Bay beach is part of the Oruaiti Reserve.

Breaker Bay

Seatoun, Wellington | 88This clothing-optional beach is a good spot for scenic walks and wildlife spotting.

An expansive, coastal area of park and wilderness just north of the capital. With 180 hectares of open space and pockets of native bush, Whitireia Park is where people in Porirua come to roam on foot, bike, or hoof.

Whitireia Park

Whitireia Road, Tītahi Bay, Porirua | 83An expansive, coastal area of park and wilderness just north of the capital.

Worser Bay is a scenic inner-harbour beach popular with swimmers, dog walkers, and bridal couples. The large, sandy beach on the eastern side of Miramar Peninsula offers views of the Ororongorongo Range across the harbour, Steeple Rock, and Seatoun Beach.

Worser Bay

Marine Parade, Seatoun, Wellington | 82This scenic inner-harbour beach is popular with swimmers, dog walkers, and bridal couples.

The screen location of West Wind Farm and Mākara Bunker at sunset, with 360 views of Wellington and the wind farm, as well as the historic fort Opau.

West Wind Farm and Mākara Bunker

140 Opau Road, Mākara, Wellington | 41This rugged ridge above Wellington provides spectacular views and access to a unique wind farm and the historic Fort Opau.

The screen location of Seaview Marina, with hundreds of boats berthed in the seaport.

Seaview Marina

100 Port Road, Seaview, Lower Hutt | 57With some of the best boat maintenance facilities in the region, Seaview Marina is the newest and fastest-growing marina.

A secluded, sheltered beach located on private farmland. Pikarere Beach is a hidden inlet off Open Bay, just 5 kilometres from Porirua’s city centre.

Pikarere Beach

Pikarere Street, Porirua | 84A secluded, sheltered beach located on private farmland.

The Petone boat ramp, Hikoikoi, with colourful boat sheds and boats in the morning sun.

Petone Boat Ramp, Hikoikoi

Great Harbour Way / Te Aranui o Pōneke, Petone, Lower Hutt | 54A colourful coastal setting with views across the Hutt Valley and Wellington Harbour.

Patuna Chasm, a cave system in a gorge of a river cutting through limestone cliff.

Patuna Chasm

236 Haurangi Road, Ruakōkoputuna | 45An ancient limestone gorge on remote, private farmland.

The screen location of Ōrongorongo Station, with many buildings, old and new, as well as views of the ocean and mountains.

Ōrongorongo Station

Coast Road, Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt | 1Set on a remote and rugged coastline, Ōrongorongo Station is one of the longest-running farms in New Zealand.

Ngauranga train station

Ngauranga Train Station

Hutt Road, Ngauranga, Wellington | 51A single island train platform for commuter rail, sitting north of Wellington city on the edge of the rugged coastline.

A quaint seaside village at the base of dramatic cliffs, Mākara is just 30 minutes from Wellington’s city centre. On its rugged western coast is a seaside village and a gently sloping, stony beach.

Mākara Beach

1088 Mākara Road, Mākara Beach, Wellington | 81A quaint seaside village at the base of dramatic cliffs, and a location in Peter Jackson’s first feature film.