Wellington Regional Trails
A young child looks at 'the Smurf corner', a manmade fairy village on the Spicer Link Trail.

Only a few minutes from Porirua, an easy, family-friendly trail weaves through the bush, offering glimpses of fairies amongst the trees.

Walking time

45 min

Length

2.8km

Uses

Walking/Running, Mountain Biking

Type

Shared trail

Walking difficulty

Easiest: Short walk

Mountain Bike Grade

Easy: Grade 2

Profile

105m highest point

Dogs

No
Ngā Ara o Rangituhi mountain biking and walking trail. The wide gravel path is half-shaded by the trees on the left while the sun shines on the bushed to the right.
Parent and toddler walk through wooden forest track.
Two kids and a god look at smurf houses in the forest.
Two kids looking at an informational trail sign. One is climbing on a fence to point on the map.

About the trail

Spicer Link is one of the most popular trails within Ngā Ara o Rangituhi. This flat, easy trail is ideal if you’re out for a leisurely family walk or learning the basics of mountain biking.

The trail weaves through the Porirua bush, leading walkers on a 45-minute journey. Allow more time if you have young children — the path offers glimpses of fairies tucked in among the trees.

Spicer Link is a shared, two-way trail and serves as a catchment for some of the downhill mountain biking trails in Ngā Ara o Rangituhi. Bikers are expected to give way to walkers.

The trail at Spicer Link Track located in Porirua.

Getting there

  • The trail starts approximately 100m north of the Raiha Street entrance to Ngā Ara o Rangituhi and from Spicer Botanical Park in Porirua.
  • There are regular bus and train services to Porirua and the surrounding area. Timetables are available from the Metlink website.

Know before you go

Get ready using Plan My Walk for track alerts, weather forecasts, trip reviews and a packing list.

Looking for more?

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A walking path through the bushes at Te Ara Utiwai in Rangituhi in Porirua, New Zealand.

Te Ara Utiwai

Ngā Ara o RangituhiThe Te Ara Utiwai trail in Porirua is a gentle climb to Te Titiro o Rangituhi (Rangituhi lookout) through native bush.

A person wearing a vest sits on a bench looking at the scenic landscape from Rangituhi/Colonial Knob Walkway.

Rangituhi / Colonial Knob Walkway

Ngā Ara o RangituhiReward your steep climb up several hundred steps with views over Porirua and beyond.

Blaster

Ngā Ara o RangituhiBlast downhill through a challenging course of berms, tight switchbacks and tables.

The view of rolling grassy hills, and native New Zealand bush under a blue sly with scattered white clouds from the Ara Harakeke Path.

Ara Harakeke Pathway

A sealed pathway between Paremata and Pukerua Bay with beach access, sea views and an important wetland.

A section of the Bothamley Park Walkway. A gravel path surrounded by native New Zealand bush.

Bothamley Park Walkway

The trail follows an old farm track along Kenepuru Stream and through large exotic trees and regenerated bush.

Wooden boardwalk curving through tussocks next to Pāuatahanui inlet. Blue sky.

Te Ara Piko

An easy meandering pathway through a nationally important estuary outlooking Pāuatahanui Inlet.

A person in a white teeshirt and a black and brown dog are standing on a hillside overlooking a coastal town, the harbour and a distant mountain range.

Te Whiti Riser

A popular all-weather walking and mountain biking track overlooking Wainuiomata and Lower Hutt.

2 adults and 2 children bike alongside the Hutt River.

Hutt River Trail

Follow the picturesque Hutt River all the way from Petone to Upper Hutt on this easy, well-maintained trail.

Four people ride bicycles on a path in Queen Elizabeth Regional Park in the Paraparaumu, New Zealand surrounded by nature.

Coast 35

Coast 35 connects Paekākāriki and Ōtaki through an off-road shared trail that runs parallel with the Kāpiti Expressway.

A drone shot of where the Ōtaki river meets the ocean, at sunset with Kapiti island in the distance.

Ōtaki River Trail

Follow the banks of the Ōtaki River on this popular walking and biking trail, with views of the coastline, river, and the Tararua Range.