Walking Trails Wellington Town Belt: Local Secrets

Locals in Wellington have shifted their outdoor routines to a network of unmarked tracks within the Town Belt that start from side streets in Aro Valley and Brooklyn.

The preference has grown this year because winter daylight hours limit options and residents seek sheltered routes that avoid the wind exposure common on exposed ridges near the waterfront.

Two tracks used by neighbourhood groups

Otari-Wilton's Bush maintains a 2.3-kilometre loop that begins at the car park off Wilton Road and passes through 100-year-old native bush stands; members of the Wellington Botanical Society use the western spur for monthly plant surveys. The Polhill Gully circuit opens from the end of Cleveland Street in Brooklyn and climbs 180 metres over 3.1 kilometres of clay paths before descending to the old reservoir; the Brooklyn Trail Runners schedule their Tuesday evening sessions there.

Wellington City Council trail counters recorded 187 average daily users on the Polhill section during June 2025, up from 142 the previous winter, while the same data showed Mount Victoria tracks handling more than 1,200 visitors on comparable days.

How to reach the routes

Walkers can park on Aro Street and follow the unmarked steps behind number 47 that connect directly to the Town Belt firebreak; the route meets the main Southern Walkway after 800 metres. No entry fees apply at either Otari-Wilton's Bush or Polhill, though the council charges $12 for its quarterly guided winter safety sessions that start from the Brooklyn Community Centre on the second Saturday of each month.

Check the Wellington City Council website for track closure notices before setting out, and carry a head torch for the shorter daylight period that ends at 5:12 pm in mid-July.