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Parks & Reserves

Kaitoke Regional Park

Pristine rainforest and crystal clear rivers create the magical elvish tranquility of Kaitoke Regional Park

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Early Maori walking routes passed through this area, linking the fertile plains of Wairarapa with the port of Wellington.

Today, large areas of original lowland rainforest remain, enhanced by well formed walking tracks and attractive riverside picnic and motorhome areas.

Kaitoke Regional Park was the filming location for Rivendell and the Fords of Isen in the The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. The whole area is distinctly elvish, with light filtering through ancient trees and clear babbling brooks. You'll soon feel the magical tranquillity that surrounded the house of Elrond.

The park contains nearly 2500 hectares of mature native forest, including beech, rimu, northern rata, hinau and kamahi. At the popular Pakuratahi Forks, ancient rata and rimu tower over a canopy of kamahi, hinau and miro. The park is also home to rare birds - kaka, yellow-crowned parakeet and a significant number of New Zealand falcon.

The clear, deep pools of the Hutt and Pakuratahi Rivers are ideal for swimming, while the undisturbed Hutt River Gorge gives kayakers a chance to journey through forests and landscapes that have hardly changed in centuries. Kayakers will encounter grade 3 rapids, so experience is necessary. The Kaitoke Hill Track provides an eight kilometre mountain biking experience that'll keep the adrenaline pumping for around 45 minutes.

Kaitoke Regional Park is a 50 minute drive north of downtown Wellington, or you can catch a train to Upper Hutt station and walk.

WELLINGTON Region

Contact Details

Contact:	Greater Wellington Regional Council
Phone:	+64 4 3845 708
Fax:	+64 4 3856 960
Postal:	PO Box 11646, Wellington 6142
Website:	www.gw.govt.nz/section402.cfm
Contact:	Upper Hutt i-SITE Visitor Centre
Phone:	+64 4 5272 141
Fax:	+64 4 5279 818
Postal:	Private Bag 907 Upper Hutt
Website:	www.upperhuttcity.com

Upper Hutt is the closest town to this highlight.

In Upper Hutt:

Other towns near Upper Hutt by road:

Lower Hutt (14 minutes)
Porirua (24 minutes)
Featherston (28 minutes)

Other towns near Upper Hutt by rail:

Other towns near Upper Hutt by air:

Upper Hutt does not have scheduled passenger air services.

The nearest airport is in Wellington (28 minutes)

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All information available on this web site concerning products and services is provided by the suppliers of those goods and services. Because information is liable to change from time to time you should not rely on the information on this web site but should check the accuracy of the information with the relevant supplier. Tourism New Zealand is not responsible or liable for any claims arising in relation to information supplied to it.

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