140 Opau Road, Mākara, Wellington
41
West Wind is Meridian Energy’s biggest wind farm, located at Terawhiti Station and Mākara, west of Wellington. Making the most of the capital’s notoriously strong winds, it is one of the best-performing wind farms in the world.
The 62 turbines are a sight to behold at 111 metres tall and with 40-metre blades.
Terawhiti Station is one of New Zealand’s oldest and largest sheep stations. Before European settlement, the area was valuable to Māori because of its strategic position and access to seafood. There are several historical sites in the area including a Ngāti Ira site and .
Gold mining happened on the land between the 1860s and early 1900s.
During the Second World War, Mākara Bunker was built on the cliffs overlooking Raukawa Moana, the Cook Strait. These days, it provides a good vantage point for spotting whales and dolphins making their way down the coast.
Beginning and ending at Mākara Beach, Mākara Walkway is a 7-kilometre loop over farmland to the gun emplacements.
A car park is a short distance from a wind turbine, but the roads leading to it are narrow and winding.
| Jurisdiction | Wellington City Council, Department of Conservation |
|---|---|
| Permits required | Private land, contact Screen Wellington |
| Location of significance | Yes, Ngāti Ira pā |
| Pet friendly | No |
| Location descriptors | Unusual landforms, barren, canyons, cliffs, rock formations, alien landscapes, extraterrestrial features, chasms, alien terrain, peculiar landmarks, unearthly landscapes, windmills, wind turbines, farmland, walking tracks, countryside, scenic views, natural beauty, scenic landscapes, escarpments, breathtaking. |
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