Kapiti VISITOR GUIDE tararua forest park otaki kapiti island paekakariki te araroa trail queen elizabeth park te ara o whareroa track southward car museum paraparaumu tuatara brewery raumati south nga manu nature reserve trinity farm paraparaumu beach golf club otaki kite festival waikanae maoriland film festival te horo shop sport raumati beach otaihanga reserve play waikanae estuary www.kapiticoastnz.com RAUMATI BEACH AT SUNSET Photo credit: Grace Simmonds See the largest private collection of rare and collectible cars TOP THINGS in the Southern Hemisphere at Southward Car Museum. WELCOME Go to a craft beer tasting session at Tuatara Brewery with TO DO IN KĀPITI matched hors d’oeuvres made from local ingredients. Visit the birds and tuatara at Ngā Manu and feed the eels. TO KĀPITI Have a coffee and slice of cake at Ruth Pretty’s Springfield House and explore the kitchen and garden shop, or maybe take a cooking class. With 40kms of unspoilt beaches sheltered from Enjoy a takeaway and sunset on ‘Fish 'n Chip Hill’ Paraparaumu Beach. prevailing westerly winds by Kāpiti Island, to the magnificent, wild landscape of theTararua Fly over Kāpiti in a plane or helicopter. Range and Forest Park, the natural beauty of Follow in the footsteps of Tiger Woods and play golf at Kāpiti is breath-taking. The area attracts artists Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club. and entrepreneurs who help make it a vibrant, Fish for whitebait and trout on Waikanae or Ōtaki rivers creative place with a friendly coastal village or surf cast off the beach and enjoy your kai moana. atmosphere. Easily accessed by car, train or air, Experience the spectacle of hundreds of kites on the beach and just 45 minutes drive from Wellington at the Ōtaki Kite Festival in February 2019. on the Expressway, it is the perfect place for a Be moved and inspired by watching some of the amazing relaxing break. shorts and feature films shown at the largest indigenous Te Araroa New Zealand’s Trail Photo credit: Martyn Cole film festival this side of the world –Māoriland Film Festival March 2019. CONTENTS Climb to the top of Kāpiti Island and enjoy an incredible panoramic view from The Sounds to Taranaki. Paekākāriki 2 On two wheels or two legs 34 Raumati 6 Get closer to nature 34 Tramp in the Tararua Forest Park. Paraparaumu 9 Taste Kāpiti 35 Otaihanga Reserve Play 36 Walk the ‘Stairway to Heaven’ part of the national Te and Waikanae Estuary 11 Enjoy the arts 36 Araroa Trail. Paraparaumu Beach 12 Kāpiti in the movies 37 Get into your groove at the family friendly day-long Kāpiti Island Nature Reserve 16 Shop ‘til you drop 37 Coastella Music Festival held in the park–like grounds Waikanae 19 Indulge those green fingers 38 at Southward Car Museum in February 2019. Ōtaki 24 i-SITE information 40 Explore our rich history 28 Stay in Kāpiti 40 Take the kids or grandkids to Marine Gardens to the Museums 30 Getting here 42 playgrounds, splash pad and ride on the miniature trains. Come to the beach 32 Freedom camping 44 Cycle through Queen Elizabeth Park on the Te Ara o Go up river 33 Activity Directory 46 Whareroa track from Paekākāriki to Raumati South. Eel feeding at Ngā Manu Nature Reserve Photo credit: Ngā Manu Have a go 33 Accommodation Directory 50 Revised July 2018 1 VIEW FROM PAEKĀKĀRIKI HILL ROAD Photo credit: Mark Coote tea rooms (open weekends PAEKĀKĀRIKI 11am–3pm) features displays about the rich and varied history of the station and surrounding area. Browse in the bookshop (believed to be the only one on a train The southernmost village in Kāpiti, Paekākāriki is station in New Zealand) and then an authentic Kiwi seaside village, regarded as have a cup of tea yourself in the the creative hub of the district with many actors, old tea rooms. dancers, musicians, film-makers, artists and Paekākāriki Holiday Park is sculptors choosing to make their home here. For a situated at the far end of the village next to Queen Elizabeth Park. It Te Ara o Whareroa cycle path small village, it has great facilities with cafés, a bar, was originally a US military base in Photo credit: Mark Coote bookshop, hotel, 24 seat luxury cinema, dairy, its World War II and became a holiday own radio station (tune in at 88.2FM), monthly camp in the 1950s. This tiny village The traditional Māori art of flax market, library, tennis court, organic greengrocer was home to 15,000 Marines weaving – harakeke – is alive and during the war. A memorial and and other speciality shops. well in Paekākāriki where the Te Rau historic display in Queen Elizabeth o Te Rangi weaving collective meet Park commemorates their part of in their own tiny club room in Tilley the area’s history. Road, on the outskirts of Queen The locals set the unique and Elizabeth Park. They run an annual relaxed vibe in Paekākāriki. It’s Queen Elizabeth Park can be event for beginners to learn about infectious. Visitors are made to feel accessed from Paekākāriki, offering care of harakeke bushes and how to like locals. They say experience lots of walking and cycling options harvest the leaves to use in weaving. Paekākāriki for a day and it will including a popular family-friendly stay with you for life. The eclectic cycle path Te Ara o Whareroa The surf’s often up in Paekākāriki. mix of residents demonstrate their through to Raumati South. A new When it’s not, paddle boarding in community spirit with planted Visitor Hub opened in 2017, near the sunset is a popular pastime. berms (areas of grass outside the entrance at Mackays Crossing. properties going on to the road). Anyone can help themselves to the fruit and vegetables grown in what Restored signal box at Paekākāriki is locally known as the community Station Photo credit: Mark Coote orchard and garden. The parks around Paekākāriki are cared for by cars were removed from passenger community groups who plant tens trains in World War 1, Paekākāriki of thousands of trees annually. was the main refreshment stop Paekākāriki was once an important on the trip north. The station tea stop on the Wellington and rooms were so busy, a 17 bed Manawatu Railway Company’s hostel was built nearby just for line from Wellington to Longburn, the girls serving teas. Nowadays completed in 1886. When dining a museum housed in the old Market Day in Paekākāriki Photo credit: Mark Coote 2 3 on what is considered one of the see the Kāpiti Coast all the way highlights of the national Te Araroa to Waikanae and Kāpiti Island in trail but be warned, it is not for silhouette. the faint hearted. You need to be Whareroa Farm recreation reasonably fit to walk it and not reserve near Paekākāriki offers suffer from vertigo. Most walkers walking, picnicking, horse riding train back from the end of the and mountain biking activites. trail in Pukerua Bay and then treat The reserve links to the adjoining themselves at one of the cafés in Akatarawa Forest. Paekākāriki. Close to the village is Paekākāriki Hill Road which has a lookout stop Fun at Paekākāriki Beach Photo credit: Mark Coote at the top of the hill where you can factory but now is home to a number of artists including Alan Wehipeihana whose varied work includes furniture made from old books. Fans of the arts will also enjoy the 1.5km Art Walk around the village made by the community featuring past and present poets and artists. Paekākāriki is the muso centre of Kāpiti with St Peter’s Village Hall and Campbell Park Paekākāriki the Memorial Hall on the sea front Photo credit: Mark Coote packing in quality acts throughout Te Rau o Te Rangi Collective working on a harakeke project Photo credit: Mark Coote the year. The Memorial Hall is Many enjoy fishing off the beach. home to the Mulled Wine Concerts Safe swimming is available at the which run throughout the winter PAEKĀKĀRIKI 1 north end of The Parade, where and feature quality national and the Paekākāriki Surf Lifeguards international classical performers. St 2 patrol during the summer months. Peter’s Hall has had everyone from national icon Dave Dobbyn to the 4 Campbell Park and skate park on 3 Wellington Road is a great place wild gypsy beats of the Balkanistas. for the kids to play while Mum and Paekākāriki is gateway to the 10km THE PARADE Dad enjoy the vast ocean views. Te Araroa walking trail coastal 5 The village has its own art hub escarpment track featuring the 6 (usually open Friday to Sunday) popular ‘Stairway to Heaven’. upstairs in the Holtom Building. Reaching 220m above sea level, OCEAN RD TILLEY RD 1 This building used to be a sewing walkers enjoy spectacular views TILLEY RD THE PARADE 9 WELLINGTON RD 7 8 1 Queen Elizabeth Park 2 Paekākāriki Holiday Park 3 Te Ara o Whareroa Cycleway AMES ST 4 Surf Lifesaving Club 5 Whareroa Farm 1 6 Campbell Park Playground 1 7 Station Museum 8 Finn's Cinema 9 Steam Inc. PAEKAKARIKI HILL RD Shops Train Station Playground View from Paekākāriki Hill Road lookout Photo credit: Mark Coote Toilets 4 5 BRIDGE AT RAUMATI BEACH Photo credit: Mark Coote from the Raumati Sports Fishing RAUMATI Club. The club runs a popular annual surfcasting competition. The Kāpiti Women’s Triathlon is held annually in Raumati, Raumati is the Māori word for summer, and starting from Marine Gardens and attracts large crowds of summer sure is good here. supporters. The triathlon is For a little place, Raumati Beach village has a designed for any female of any surprising number of speciality shops selling ability to have a go and achieve.