Ohariu Valley Road in Wellington travels through a slice of quintessential Kiwi countryside.

A quaint, countryside district on Wellington’s urban doorstep.

Ohariu Valley Road in Wellington travels through a slice of quintessential Kiwi countryside.

Originally covered in native bush, the arrival of European settlers to the valley in the 1840s saw the trees logged for timber and the land used for farming sheep and cattle.

First built in 1858, the narrow, undulating road travels through rolling green hills and under canopies of established trees.

Just a 20-minute drive from the city’s centre, Ohariu Valley remains a rural farming community but is also a popular area for hiking, biking, and bird watching. On the road, you’ll also find the Ohariu Valley Golf Club and the Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

Location details

Jurisdiction Wellington City Council
Permits required Yes, apply for a permit
Location descriptors Crops, fields, grassland, hills, roads, rural buildings, scenic roads, valleys, farmhouses, livestock, stables, agriculture, countryside, farmland, pastures, homesteads, meadows, farms, rural communities, open spaces.

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The screen location of Whiitemans Valley, nestled among trees and hills, old buildings have been built to mimic an old town.

Whitemans Valley

Whitemans Valley, Upper Hutt | 10An historical film set, green pastures, and a mountainous backdrop.

The Holy Trinity Church is a good example of a rural mid-to late-19th-century New Zealand church. Built in 1870, it is a small, rural church in Ohariu Valley in Johnsonville, Wellington. It has a small graveyard associated with it.

Holy Trinity Church

638 Ohariu Valley Road, Ohariu, Wellington | 69Holy Trinity is a good example of a rural mid-to late-19th-century New Zealand church.

Maymorn train station

Maymorn Train Station

Maymorn Road, Maymorn, Upper Hutt | 63A rural train station near the base of the Remutaka Range.

The 4 lane motorway of Transmission Gully, surrounded by green hills.

Transmission Gully

Transmission Gully, State Highway 1, Paekākāriki | 59An impressive motorway, 100 years in the making, in and out of the capital.

An aerial view of the Willowbank Quarry with work trucks and heavy machinery under a sunny blue sky.

Willowbank Quarry

264b Paremata Haywards Road, Judgeford | 47A quarry recognised for its environmental efforts, in a stunning rural setting.

The screen location of West Wind Farm and Mākara Bunker at sunset, with 360 views of Wellington and the wind farm, as well as the historic fort Opau.

West Wind Farm and Mākara Bunker

140 Opau Road, Mākara, Wellington | 41This rugged ridge above Wellington provides spectacular views and access to a unique wind farm and the historic Fort Opau.

The native trees lining the path in Pikarere Firest.

Pikarere Forest

Pikarere Street, Porirua | 120Pikarere Forest offers scenic walks through impressive native trees.

Mangaroa Valley Road screen location, a scenic rural setting with native forest, farmland, and a mountainous backdrop.

Mangaroa Valley Road

Mangaroa, Upper Hutt | 18A scenic rural setting with access to native forest, and walking and biking trails.

The screen location of Ōrongorongo Station, with many buildings, old and new, as well as views of the ocean and mountains.

Ōrongorongo Station

Coast Road, Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt | 1Set on a remote and rugged coastline, Ōrongorongo Station is one of the longest-running farms in New Zealand.

The rural Western Lake road, which connects the Remutaka Range to Lake Wairarapa, features lush green fields and mountains.

Western Lake Road

Western Lake Road, Western Lake, Wairarapa | 9Idyllic countryside bordered by spectacular mountains and wetlands.