The screen location of Te Mārua cliffs, where a river flows against vertical cliffs on the foothills of the Remutaka Range.

A dramatic geological formation rising from the upper reaches of the Hutt River.

Te Mārua is a rural suburb of Upper Hutt, just a 10-minute drive from the city’s centre. Situated at the foothills of the Remutaka Range and beside , it is a stunning setting.

Te Mārua Cliffs, located in the upper reaches of the river, make for a dramatic riverbank, rising several metres vertically from the water. Different layers of sediment are on display.

The Hutt River Tail provides an easy, scenic walk and cycle path alongside the river, and access to it for swimming, fishing, and kayaking. Access to the cliffs is also possible with four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Just a short distance north are the two Stuart Macaskill water storage lakes. These are filled from the river and provide backup drinking water for the Hutt Valley.

Location details

Jurisdiction Upper Hutt City Council
Permits required Yes, apply for a permit
Location descriptors Scrub, mossy, foliage, serene, wilderness, remote, untamed, uninhabited, vast, uncharted, isolated, solitude, rugged, natural, expanse, crags, escarpment, scenic, steep, elevation, cliffs, breathtaking, rock formations, rivers, streams, coastal cliff.

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Patuna Chasm, a cave system in a gorge of a river cutting through limestone cliff.

Patuna Chasm

236 Haurangi Road, Ruakōkoputuna | 45An ancient limestone gorge on remote, private farmland.

The screen location of Seaview Marina, with hundreds of boats berthed in the seaport.

Seaview Marina

100 Port Road, Seaview, Lower Hutt | 57With some of the best boat maintenance facilities in the region, Seaview Marina is the newest and fastest-growing marina.

The Taitā Rock swimming hole in Lower Hutt, with lush green bush surrounding a blue river and large pebbles on the shore.

Taitā Rock

High Street, Taitā, Lower Hutt | 90For decades, the Taitā rock area of Hutt River as been a popular swimming hole.

This clothing-optional beach is a good spot for scenic walks and wildlife spotting. At the western entrance of Wellington Harbour, picturesque Breaker Bay beach is part of the Oruaiti Reserve.

Breaker Bay

Seatoun, Wellington | 88This clothing-optional beach is a good spot for scenic walks and wildlife spotting.

The screen location of Oriental Bay, wth pastel-coloured, Art Deco apartments, brightly-painted boat sheds, and the golden beach.

Oriental Bay

Oriental Bay, Wellington | 86This inner-city beach is one of the capital’s best features, sitting along the Wellington waterfront.

A site of significant conservation value, the estuary is easily accessible in Porirua. A 30-minute drive from the capital, the Pāuatahanui Inlet is a large estuary surrounded by a wildlife reserve.

Pāuatahanui Inlet

Pāuatahanui, Porirua | 85A site of significant conservation value, the estuary is easily accessible in Porirua.

An expansive, coastal area of park and wilderness just north of the capital. With 180 hectares of open space and pockets of native bush, Whitireia Park is where people in Porirua come to roam on foot, bike, or hoof.

Whitireia Park

Whitireia Road, Tītahi Bay, Porirua | 83An expansive, coastal area of park and wilderness just north of the capital.

Worser Bay is a scenic inner-harbour beach popular with swimmers, dog walkers, and bridal couples. The large, sandy beach on the eastern side of Miramar Peninsula offers views of the Ororongorongo Range across the harbour, Steeple Rock, and Seatoun Beach.

Worser Bay

Marine Parade, Seatoun, Wellington | 82This scenic inner-harbour beach is popular with swimmers, dog walkers, and bridal couples.

The unusual rock formations of the Putangirua Pinnacles in the Wairarapa region.

Putangirua Pinnacles

1341 Cape Palliser Road, Wairarapa | 46Epic rock formations in a remote part of the Wairarapa region.

Long Gully Bush Reserve comprises 107 hectares of regenerating forest. It sits roughly 5 kilometres southwest of Wellington City, surrounded by the suburbs of Karori and Brooklyn.

Long Gully

Southernthread Road, Brooklyn, Wellington | 44A private, regenerative native ecosystem on the city’s doorstep.