Paekākāriki Escarpment Track - sneaky little city hike
- Natty Knees
- Aug 13, 2025
- 5 min read
We are in Wellington city for the weekend and have a morning free on Saturday for a sneaky little hike. Although there are plenty of hills in Wellington, we have had the Paekākāriki Escarpment Track on the wish list for a while and it's only 30mins north of the city center. The track runs from Paekākāriki to Pukerua Bay and takes hikers on the edge of cliffs, high above the Kapiti coastline and gives spectacular views of the ocean and Kapiti Island. Lots of reviews caution any hikers with a fear of heights or vertigo and unfortunately for me I'm rocking both, so this should be interesting.
Track: Paekākāriki Escarpment Track
Time of Year: August 2025
We wake up to a chilly 6 degrees in Wellington but luckily, we've scored an otherwise decent day and none of that horrendously infamous wind Wellington is known for. As we are going to be on the edge of cliffs, there is not a chance we are going to do this hike with strong gusts. The track is 9km and can be walked in either direction with most people walking from north (Paekākāriki) to south (Pukerua Bay). Paekākāriki is a quaint little town with a lot of cute cafes, so we decide to park on a side road and caffeinate up before heading off. We stop in at the Olde Beach Cafe and salivate over the pastries and pies, making a pact to ditch the marmite sandwiches and return later for lunch after the hike. It is expected to take us around 3-4 hours.
We cross the train tracks and follow the road south for a couple of minutes until we locate the overbridge that carries us to the beginning of the track. Unexpectedly the track isn't too muddy at all after all the wet weather, and it quickly spills us into shaded forest. The track is narrow, rocky, and the first 2km are really easy going with an ever so slight incline out of the trees.
We greet a couple of keen hikers heading towards Paekākāriki who must have started out super early as it's just going on 8am. Eventually we come to the first of 1,200 stairs we will encounter on this hike. It's time to shed the beanie and puffer jacket to get our sweat on. The stairs are small, steep, and are just wide enough for one person at a time. There are no side rails for support so this walk is definitely not suitable for anyone with balance issues.
Thankfully there are a few flat bits to provide a break between each staircase to catch your breath. We are climbing high quite quickly, and I cautiously sneak a peek over the edge every now and then to the road and railway far below.
Reviews online have indicated this direction is easier with a short and sharp climb to the top and I reckon they are right. Whilst there are more uphill stair sections to come, I'm surprised (pleasantly) when most of the climbing is out of the way so swiftly. I'm also glad that my squat game has been strong recently in the gym to help tackle all these stairs. It is daunting being so high up and close to the edge but for someone with a fear of heights it is totally doable.... if you don't look down. Eyes forward.
From here you can see all the way to Paraparaumu with views of Kapiti Island out to sea. The sun is starting to make an appearance on this chilly winter's day and it's lovely up here. It would be a stunning walk in summer although there is a complete absence of any shade so bring plenty of sunscreen.
We continue meandering the track while hugging the hills and come to the first of the swing bridges. The load capacity maxes out at 5 people, and the swing bridge is constructed of metal mesh and entirely see through. Eyes forward.
As we bend around a narrow corner a couple of hikers politely pass us from behind and are hoofing the track at speed and there are a few people using the track as training runs. It's not long till we encounter the second swing bridge and I notice in the distance a group of 4 heading our way. Keen not to test the load capacity if they don't do the math, we make quick work of the bridge. There is not a lot of room for passing on the bridge anyway and we find a spot to stand to the side once we come off to let them through. To finish us off there is one last hurrah of uphill stairs here that leave the legs and lungs burning.
As we take a break and look upwards we notice a black dome high on the hill above us. We wonder whether it is glamping accommodation and if it is, I imagine it would be a nice little spot with some epic night star views. Some research after the hike confirmed our suspicions if you want to check them out - Escarpment Domes. From here on out it is all relatively downhill and we descend as quickly as we ascended at the beginning. But this time there are a lot more stairs.
It becomes obvious on this section why reviews have indicated the north to south direction is easier. If you were climbing here instead, the stairs would be relentless with few rest breaks in between. We pass a few people keeled over and sucking back air and cheer them on. Pukerua Bay is inching closer and we know we can't be too far away now as we continue spiraling down. We finally reach sea level and end up by the train tracks and I mention to Julz that we haven't seen any trains come pass at all. We wonder if they are running to get us back to Paekākāriki.
The track officially ends at an old railway station that we find out is no longer in use from some hikers who are about to begin the track and query how long it took us today. All up it has surprisingly only taken 2hrs 10mins to complete the track with a few stops for photos much quicker than anticipated. We make our way to the new train station following signs marking the Te Araroa trail and it's true the trains are not running. A bus replacement service however will take us back to Paekākāriki and we follow more signs, cross an overhead bridge and find the bus stop about 1km away. We chat to the couple who flew past us on the track earlier who lament they have been waiting for 30mins already. In awe that they smashed the track so quickly it seems sometimes it pays to take your time and enjoy the view, as the bus pulls up almost on cue.
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