D R E R GO VIEWS ON THE WAY ON ARLT C A TE PAPA 1 START EXPLORE Te Papa is the national museum of New Zealand and SOUTHERN ORIENTAL BAY was opened on 14 February 1998. The Southern Walkway is an 11km E D T P WALKWAY N After extensive consultation with iwi (Maori tribal L E A C walk along the Town Belt between T S groups), and canvassing of political support to secure N E E I R R C O funding, a new Act of Parliament was passed in 1992 EXPLORE E Oriental Bay and Island Bay. H BEACH T T (the Museum of New Zealand Act, Te Papa Tongarewa 1992), which combined the The total walk can be completed in A T FREYBERG POOL GRA National Museum and the National Art Gallery to form the Museum of New Zealand T SS 4–5 hours depending on fitness S TE PAPA T Te Papa Tongarewa. Te Papa was a rare and exciting challenge – the opportunity to WELLINGTON and interest. ORIENTAL TCE ST HAY design from scratch a place unique to New Zealand. ORIENTAL PDE Discover Wellington’s Town Belt, reserves and walkways The greatest attraction of this walkway is the variety of WILKINSON ST B BASIN RESERVE In the early 1800s there was little flat ground available scenery, from views of the harbour and central city at for cricket. An earthquake in 1855 lifted up the area Oriental Bay, the shade and tranquillity of the Town Belt HAWKER ST YVIEW that had been set aside as a basin for turning around BA TC forest to the rugged and exposed Southern coastline E the supplies loaded from ships in the harbour and ROXBURGH ST transported up canals to the basin. The ground was RD between Houghton and Island Bays. R swampy but the region's cricketers offered to develop E CHARLES IS ALL it if it was designated for their use. Although the walk is steep in places, it is not difficult PLIMMER P MAJORIBANKS ST PARK The Reserve was developed and the first game was played at the ground on 11 January overall and is suitable for those of average fitness. Various 2 1868 between Wellington Volunteers and officers and crew of HMS Falcon. RA RD access points from suburban streets allow you to ND The Reserve was gifted to the city by means of a trust deed in 1884 and is considered XA 3 LE complete the walkway in stages if you choose. From the A a historic area and a protected ground. city, take either the No.14 Kilbirnie (via Roseneath), or the D R C GIFFORD OBSERVATORY T MT VICTORIA LOOKOUT ROSENEATH U No.24 Evans Bay bus to Oriental Parade (the walkway O From here you can see the Gifford Observatory. Charles Gifford, who K BYRD MEMORIAL O O was a teacher at Wellington College, a talented mathematician, L UPO SOUTHERN WALKWAY, THE TOWN BELT entrance is sign-posted and begins near the intersection KO ST photographer, naturalist and a dedicated astronomer built the VIA ORIENTAL PARADE, MOUNT VICTORIA of Oriental Parade and Carlton Gore Road); or take the T observatory in 1912. A small group of people have worked towards TRUBY KING PARK AND ISLAND BAY No.1 bus to Island Bay (the walkway begins in Shorland refurbishing and rebuilding the previously derelict observatory in order MT VICTORIA TOWN BELT Park). For bus timetable check out www.metlink.co.nz to house the magnificent Zeiss refractor telescope. All along the route are numerous seats and picnic spots. D WELLINGTON HOSPITAL D The building commenced in 1878 using prison labour. The prisoners were marched each A R DR day from the Terrace gaol to Newtown where the bricks were made on site from N A X E excavated clay. The hospital opened in 1881 and patients were transferred from the L A Thorndon Hospital. HATAITAI 1 | Start, Oriental Parade headed off down the other side of cities by improving the health and and Mt Mathews, Wellington’s the island of Motu Kairangi (Miramar well-being of citizens. The Town Belt highest point to the East. B From the Oriental Parade Peninsula), only to get caught by was shown on the first plan of entrance, the walkway the receding tide Ngake had let in. Wellington drawn in 1840, labelled as Bronze Cannon zigzags up the hill. Whataitai’s body thus forms the ‘land…reserved for the enjoyment of The bronze cannon, Several paths intersect the isthmus between the former island the public and not to be built upon’. NORTH below the steps that MT VICTORIA TUNNEL first section of the walkway however, of Motu Kairangi and the Western side lead to the lookout, the Southern Walkway route itself is of the harbour, where the airport is Its purpose was to separate town and was used to fire the clearly marked with posts bearing now situated. country sections to provide space for orange directional arrows. public recreation. noon signal in the MT ALFRED It is believed that Tangi-te-keo years between 1877 and 1900. Seats strategically placed on the In 1997, Friends of the (Mount Victoria) was named after the C hillside offers a place to rest and soul of Whataitai, which after leaving Wellington Town Belt Byrd Memorial enjoy the scenery. Below is one of the the taniwha’s body, flew up to the top was established. Their most picturesque harbours in New principle objective is to The Byrd Memorial of this hill in the shape of a bird and honours the memory Zealand. You can also look out over proceeded to tangi (weep and mourn). promote preservation VELODROME Oriental Parade, which is lined with of the Town Belt for of Admiral Richard E restored turn of the century houses Crossing Palliser Road, the walkway future generations. Byrd, a polar aviation and modern apartments. continues up the hill to the left, in the explorer who mapped large areas of HATAITAI KEY They also aim to promote knowledge shade of the Town Belt trees to an Antarctica and identified closely with PARK TOWN BELT/RESERVES about the Town Belt’s unique history Mount Victoria and excellent picnic spot in Charles New Zealand’s polar explorers. SOUTHERN WALKWAY the Harbour Plimmer Park. and ecology, to encourage people to use and enjoy the Town Belt. From Alexandra Road the walkway LOOKOUT WALK meanders down through the pine HATAITAI TO CITY Legend has it that two 2 | Charles Plimmer Park taniwha (water monster) For more information check out trees of Mount Victoria. HATAITAI TO NEWTOWN lived in the harbour, Charles Plimmer died in www.townbelt.wellington.net.nz The town belt goes over the Mt which at that time was an enclosed 1930 and left money in T TOILETS Victoria tunnel. WELLINGTON TOWN BELT lake. One was a restless, energetic his will to the 3 | Mt Victoria Matairangi Summit HOSPITAL taniwha named Ngake, who longed Wellington City Council Head up to Mt Alfred for fantastic 1 3 POINTS OF INTEREST to escape its confinements and swim to plant trees and shrubs to beautify D RUAHINE ST The walkway then leads views of Evans Bay, there is a great A D ALONG THE WALKWAY to open sea. It sped about in the North the bays, beaches, Town Belt and to Alexandra Road. spot under the Pohutakawa trees to Eastern part of the harbour, using its reserves around Wellington. Several A A short diversion back to enjoy your lunch. L E tail to build up the shallow area and major beautification projects have X the left along Alexandra Road leads A CHEST N then hurled itself at the rocks been funded by the Plimmer Trust, D you to the Mount Victoria summit and HOSPITAL R encircling the lake, and smashed including Oriental Bay Beach and Otari A lookout. Here at a height of 196 R through to escape to the freedom of Wilton’s Bush. metres, there are sweeping views of D Bay. Island to Parade Oriental from Raukawamoana (Cook Strait). Belt Town the along you guides Walkway Southern The The Town Belt, through which most of the city, harbour and Tinakori Hill, the The second taniwha, Whataitai, this walkway passes, was a concept Hutt Valley and Eastern harbour bays, NEWTOWN decided to make his escape through developed in England in the early 19th Matiu/Somes Island and the Miramar WELLINGTON RD area. the of history early some and another exit. He pushed off with his century as a means of combating Peninsula. Beyond are Baring and fauna and flora stunning views, picturesque discover Pencarrow Heads and further to the HENRY ST tail, and in doing so created the overcrowding and poor living and parks beautiful Wellington’s through Walk Ngauranga Gorge. Whataitai then conditions in England’s industrial right, Wellington’s Southern suburbs There are numerous other walks on Mount Victoria for people of all fitness levels and enthusiasm. These are clearly marked on the map shown here. The walk continues above Kilbirnie Walk down the driveway and cross WELLINGTON RD to Melrose, a comfortable place to Manchester Street, go 40m uphill then CONSTABLE ST rest before the climb to Mount Albert. take Sutherland Crescent C HENRY ST PAEROA R A SAFETY AND REGULATIONS From the reservoir, follow the Southern to Melrose Park. ST WF ROSENEATH ORD Walkway arrows, which takes you COROMANDEL ST R Wellington Zoo D ORIENTAL BAY under the pines to Truby King Park bringing you out onto Manchester Wellington Zoo was Dogs must be kept on a leash Street and then to Sutherland Crescent.