Draft Town Belt Management Plan - Wellington City Council

8.1 Sector 1 Te Ahumairangi Hill
8.1.1 Character and use
Te Ahumairangi Hill provides a green backdrop to the CBD
Te Ahumairangi 29 is a prominent ridge rising to 300m between the suburbs of Northland and
Wadestown providing a backdrop to the CBD and Thorndon (Sector 1: context map). Its height and
dark colour make it a dominant backdrop to inner city high rise buildings. There are three distinct
character areas:
1. The escarpment comprising the steep eastern vegetated hillsides facing the city
containing a mosaic of pine forest and regenerating native forest, with deciduous woodland
of primarily oak trees below Wadestown Road. On the lower slopes and in some places
further up the steep gullies are large infestations of sycamore. The steep topography
coupled with the abrupt edge at the base of the escarpment next to Grant Road limits access
along this edge. The landscape is in a period of change following the removal of 10.5ha of
hazardous trees in 2005 and 2006.
2. The summit ridge is open undulating ground with panoramic views, especially west to the
Outer Green Belt. It is interspersed with tall vegetation and provides a variety of spaces and
easy walking experiences. It is easily accessed from Northland in the south and Wadestown
in the north.
3. The western slopes are exposed to the sun and northerly winds, and feature regenerating
native and exotic scrub interspersed with pines. This area extends fingers of open space
from the summit ridge into the suburban housing below and into vegetated gullies. Access
to the hill is easier than on the steep eastern side.
Te Ahumairangi Hill is mainly used for informal recreation and offers an extensive network of
tracks, including the Northern Walkway 30 , which are close to the city and suburbs. Mountain
biking occurs on some tracks. Te Ahumairangi Hill is one of the least visited sectors of the Town
Belt with 10 percent of those surveyed in the 2009 Residents Survey having visited regularly (at
least once a month) and almost 30 percent never having visited.
There are two play areas: at Glamorgan Park, Northland and Pembroke Road/Monmouth Way
Park, Wilton.
29 Te Ahumairangi Hill was previously known as Tinakori Hill. The name change was approved as part of the
Port Nicholson Block (Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika) Claims Settlement Act 2009.
30 A 16km walkway from the Botanic Garden to Johnsonville.
Draft Town Belt Management Plan October 2012 65 .