Remutaka Summit

The rugged Remutaka Range is the southernmost part of a mountain chain in the lower North Island of New Zealand. Further north, it becomes the Tararua Range.

State Highway 2 between Upper Hutt and Featherston, also known as Remutaka Pass, is one of the country’s most high-risk sections of highway. It has an elevation of 556 metres above sea level and a series of hairpin turns. Safety improvements to the pass are ongoing.

At the road’s summit is a lookout point, offering dramatic views of the surrounding peaks. It takes about an hour from central Wellington to get to the summit.

During the First World War, the summit was a stopping point for troops during the march from Featherston and Tauherenikau camps to Trentham Camp in Upper Hutt. A small hut was built to store water boilers for making tea. Later, a café stood on the site. Both have since gone. But, there is a car park to allow people to pull off the road and take in the vistas.

Te Ara Tirohanga or Remutaka Trig Track is a short (one-hour return) but steep and exposed climb on a well-maintained track up to the northern crest of the range.