Mākara Peak MTB Park Supporters

Kiwi spotted a stone's throw from the park... and a reminder of how much we appreciate dog owners keeping their fur babies on a lead.

What we do in the shadows: check out this big female kiwi snapped by a security camera down South Karori Rd.
📸🔑🟤🖤

After ~150 years of local extinction, wild kiwi roaming in the backyard of our capital city is no longer an episode of Wellington Paranormal, but reality – based on epic mahi from our communities, iwi and landowners.

It’s also a reminder for Wellingtonians of the west to be kiwi aware: dogs contained at night, on leads where they need to be, and reported when roaming... and to be conscious of kiwi when driving at night.
🐕‍🦺🚗🚨🔑🟤✅

Most of the population of kiwi is out on the southwest hills of Mākara, where released, where they are thriving. As kiwi establish, breed and disperse, from now onwards, these encounters will be increasingly experienced.

Sunday Volunteer Trail Builders doing some much needed mahi on Starfish.
Rebuilding and armouring drops and improving drainage.

No dig this weekend as many of us are out of town enjoying other trails.
Join us Sunday 17th Nov from 3 to 5pm as we continue to work our way down Starfish.
Photos by Lisa Ng photography

PSA: Supa Kanuka will be closed on Thursday 7 Nov for track maintenance.

Track closures Saturday and Sunday 16-17 November 2024.

On Saturday 16 November, the Revolve Cycling Women of Dirt Six Hour Event is on at Mākara Peak and on Sunday 17 November, PNP MTB Club is holding the final event of their cross country spring series at Mākara Peak.

The Women of Dirt will be taking over the bottom third of Mākara Peak (including the carpark) on Saturday 16 November for their 5th annual women-only relay event, hosted by Revolve! As such, Koru, Magic Carpet, Lazy Fern, SWIGG & Starfish will be closed. The best options to access the park are from St Albans (though please mind the crossing at the top of Starfish) or otherwise from Mākara Road using T4. We've had a few people in recent years ignore our marshalls and head down the tracks closed for racing. Please don't. This event is aimed at women taking part in their first mountain bike event and we do everything possible to ensure a positive experience. Do feel free to ride down the road after your ride to sample some delicious baking in the carpark and cheer on these women! Thank you for your understanding. Racing should be concluded by 4pm.

The rain day for the Revolve event will be the afternoon of Sunday 17 Nov following the PNP races.

For full details of tracks affected by the PNP racing on Sunday 17 Nov, please check out the website: pnp.org.nz/mtb or http://www.facebook.com/pnpmtb . Racing should be concluded by 1pm. Rain day is 1 December.

Mission montbretia continues…We will tackle montbretia re-growth from Magic Carpet to the skills area.
Meet at the end of St Albans Ave, at 5:30pm on Wednesday.
Please bring a small garden fork if you have one. We have a few spares. And snacks... of course we'll have snacks!

PSA: Kārearea and Varleys will be closed for the day on Monday 4 Nov for vegetation trimming.

Makara Peak is a finalist in the Wellington Airport Community Awards. This includes a 'People's Choice' category... and you can cast a vote. If we win, that's good for another $2,000 prize that we can pump into the park. Check it out here -

Community Awards People's Choice Award 2024 Vote for your favourite group in the 2024 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards to be in to WIN a $500 shopping spree at Wellington Airport!

Thinking of joining in on some trail building up at Mākara Peak?
Come join our Sunday Crew who meet regular from 3 to 5pm.
Over the last couple of weeks we have started doing much needed maintenance on upper Starfish and we need more helpers.
Meet us at the container on Snake Charmer or come down the track from the top and you will find us.

No experience necessary and just bring gloves, we supply everything else.
Join us afterwards for a BBQ and enjoy some sausages donated by Bill and the crew at Gipps Street Butchery along with drinks and vegetation option.
If you need more information, message us.

PSA: Nikau Valley closed again on Thursday 31st October for a continuation of refurbishment work.
It's Halloween so Monster Mark 👹, Manic Marty 👽and their ghoulish group 👻☠️will be taking their pick axes, shovels and forks into the depths of Nikau Valley to continue digging, smashing and pounding the trail for your riding pleasure.

A reminder to give your voice to the consultation on the proposed new Crow's Nest biking and walking tracks. Submissions close 31st October.

Proposed Crofton Downs walking and biking trails Trails Wellington and Korimako Track Builders are proposing new mountain biking and walking trails.

Nikau has had a makeover. Thanks to Ranger Mark and his Thursday crew of volunteers, the Nikau Valley track is running mint, but still with that remote, rocky, rooty feel. For those familiar with Nikau, you'll know the old green matting used to stablise the surface in places has seen better days. The crew have replaced the matting on one of the early corners and realigned the approach, while keeping the dropping features into the corner. More of the matting will be replaced over time. In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled if your heading down Nikau for the recent changes and enjoy the upgrades.

PSA: Nikau Valley track will be closed again on Thursday 24 Oct 8.30-3.30'ish for Ranger Mark and his Thursday volunteer crew to continue their makeover of this iconic backcountry trail.

If you happen to spot a blue budgie in the park, please post here letting us know when and where you saw it. We'll pass the info on to it's owner.

PSA: Nikau Valley track will be closed on Thursday 17 Oct 8.30-3.30'ish for further maintenance improvements to this epic old school trail by Ranger Mark and his trusty crew of Thursday volunteers.

Time for some kudos!
Our Chair, Kerei Thompson (along with several other leaders in Wellington's environmental restoration space) joined the Mayor and deputy Mayor this morning to celebrate Wellington winning a Special Mention Prize at the Lee Kuan Yew World Cities Summit. The prize recognized how remarkable Wellington is for the number and effectiveness of groups like Makara Peak Supporters that we have around the city, all working towards the restoration of our natural spaces.
There are a few more opportunities coming up to contribute to this mahi. Details below.

Wednesday 16 October, 5:30pm
Weeding tradescantia near Hathaway Ave
Meet at the St Albans Avenue entrance to the park.

Sunday 20 October, 10 am
Plant mulching and more releasing at the Kōhanga
Meet at the end of South Karori Rd

Wednesday 23 October, 5:30pm
Mission montbretia returns! We will revisit the sites up Snake Charmer and Magic Carpet Return where we weeded montbretia last year.
Meet at the St Albans Avenue entrance to the park.

It's that time of the year when the grass is growing at a great rate of knots and some of our seedlings are getting swamped. If you'd like to help 'release' them, meet at the end of South Karori Road at 10am on Saturday. We'll walk into the Kohanga o Porokapa and give the smallest seedlings there some love.
We'll have gardening gloves to spare, and a picnic lunch at the end.

PSA: If you are planning a ride down Leaping Lizard and out via Bail Out tomorrow (Thursday 10 Oct), keep an eye out for Ranger Mark and his crew of volunteers as they endeavour to 'drain the swamp' or at least get rid of the massive boggy patch at the bottom of Bail Out. Follow their instructions through the work site and give a 'thanks crew' on the way past.

WCC are consulting on new MTB trails in the Crofton Downs area. Show your support for more riding tracks in Wellington at the following link.

Proposed Crofton Downs walking and biking trails Trails Wellington and Korimako Track Builders are proposing new mountain biking and walking trails.