Wellington Regional Trails
Three friends walk along a forest trail at Ōtari-Wilton's Bush.

There’s a wide variety of walks available at Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush, ranging from gentle 10-minute strolls to 2.5-hour hikes. Original forests and native botanic gardens attract plenty of native birds.

Length

9.3km

Uses

Walking/Running

Type

Single track

Walking difficulty

Easy: Walking track

Profile

263m highest point

Dogs

Yes (on short lead)

About the trail

As New Zealand’s only botanic garden dedicated solely to native plants, Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush encompasses 100 hectares of native forest, with five hectares of plant collections containing around 1,200 species, hybrids, and cultivars. The collections include plants from New Zealand’s mainland and offshore islands.

Among some of the gentler tracks is Te Ara o Kaiwharawhara Awa. A buggy-friendly trail that follows the flow of the Kaiwharawhara Stream. Te Ara Porowhita is the most popular circular loop track, featuring a stream, native forest and gardens.  For something a little more challenging, Te Ara o Tama takes you past Moko, the 800-year-old rimu tree. You'll then climb up for amazing views across Wellington.

Suggested routes

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