This article was published in Tararua Tramper, September 2025
Ngauranga to Newlands and Grenada Village
EM – Wednesday 13 August
Dodging the last of the rain showers, eight members gathered by 9.30 at ‘Kitchen Things’ on Glover Street, near the end of Ngauranga Gorge. We took the Wakely Road Shared Path from Centennial Highway up to Lyndfield Park, then via connecting streets we entered Brandon's Rock Walkway, reaching the Omega trig at 873 ft (266m) for morning tea. We had enjoyed great vistas along the way, but the sunshine and panorama from the rock was amazing.
From there we turned down a few streets to get to the Te Ara Paparāngi ki te Tonga Track. There was plenty of up and down in native bush as we zigzagged around various gullies, to the tune of lovely native birdsong. Emerging at Cromwell Point we turned left, crossed the road and returned to the escarpment. Gilberd Bush Reserve linked us back onto the Te Ara Paparāngi trail. After a good number of further undulations through the bush, we finally arrived at Waihinahina Park. More magnificent views and our lunch stop!
Once refreshed, two options were on offer for our route back towards Seton Nossiter Park and the Grenada Village bus stop that would deliver us back to Ngauranga. Consensus opted for sunshine and more views, so we walked up from Waihinahina by road, then over the brow and down via an alley-way to enter Seton Nossiter Park. We appreciated the route map of the park as it clarified our route downhill and indicated that we would be very handy to the bus stop at the track’s end.
The pearls of Seton Nossiter were the historic features, the bush and the clear stream as it gurgled and splashed beside us most of the way. Near the picnic area, exotic trees line a stretch of the streamside. A large, grassy recreational area brought to mind the original settlers' picnics. Downstream was the last of Wellington’s original railway line out of Wellington. One visible buttress remains. It had supported the massive wooden viaduct built in 1885. An information board advises the tunnel (now blocked off) and the viaduct remained part of the Main Trunk line until the 1930’s when the new tunnels were opened. The other point of interest to us was the flood prevention intervention WCC has put in place to protect other stream-surbs, Tawa and Porirua. The stream from its upper reaches is the beginning of the Porirua Stream and is piped from near the track and under the motorway. In all we took 4.75 hours, covered nearly 13 kms, plenty of elevation and descent, and were at the bus stop with over 10 minutes to spare before the bus arrived.
Penny Salmond (leader), Paul Bruce, Colin Hoare, Leonore Hoke, Carolyn Jenkins, Ray Jenkins, Justin Kerr, Pip Newton.