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Mt Kaukau
This is a short
walk near Wellington in Khandallah Park. In summer (from late November to
March), you can also enjoy the free swimming pool and the various BBQ areas.
Altitude profile of Mt Kaukau. There is a total ascension of 264 m over 3 km. The time between the two red dots shows the time spend at the summit near the antenna.
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Mt
Kaukau can be seen from Wellington; a TV antenna is located at its summit. Mt
Kaukau is actually part of the Northern walkway. To reach the summit you have
various options (see map above); For my part I actually went up via the south
ridge track and down by the middle track. The climb is only 264 m but over
roughly 1.5 km so you can feel a bit exhausted if you do not take any brakes.
The first part of the walk is mainly done in the forest. As you get closer to
the top, the density of the trees decrease which allows you to have some views
on your way up (true only if you take the south ridge track). At the summit, you
have nice view of the Wellington harbour, the Rimutaka ranges, the hills around
Wellington and the south island. The wag down can be done various ways; the
height difference profile below shows the way down via middle track. At the end
of the walk, you either enjoy a swim in the pool or take a drink at the coffee
situated just at the entrance of the park.