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Key facts
- Suggested duration
- 4 days
- Start
- Wellington
- Finish
- Carterton
- Travel style
- Road trip
Checked against official sources on 26 September 2026. Confirm with the official source before you go.
Spend a Lower Hutt night before moving to Carterton for town stops and a Holdsworth forest day, with a dedicated margin for the SH2 crossing.
This is a suggested itinerary, not a booked package or a guarantee that roads, walks or overnight sites are available.
Day 1: Wellington arrival, Lower Hutt overnight
Begin in Wellington with a short waterfront visit only if arrival leaves time, then head to the booked Lower Hutt campground. Keep city parking and travel back to camp as separate practical decisions; the park is not a central waterfront pitch. Save a simple dinner for arrival and check tomorrow's SH2 information. After a delayed ferry or vehicle pickup, drop the sightseeing rather than rushing the first campsite check-in.
Overnight: Lower Hutt
Day 2: SH2 to Carterton, with one town stop
After checking SH2, cross towards Featherston and continue through the Wairarapa to Carterton. Choose Featherston or Greytown for a meal and short town wander, rather than stopping everywhere. Reach camp with time to settle and buy lunch for tomorrow. If the hill route is disrupted, contact the campsite and stay on the Wellington side while reassessing; this plan does not require an improvised long detour to preserve a booking.
Overnight: Carterton
Day 3: Holdsworth and Donnelly Flat
Travel to the Holdsworth road end with lunch and walking layers, then follow the signed Donnelly Flat Loop rather than a route towards the high huts. Pause at the picnic area and decide whether completing the loop still suits the group. Return to the same car park and Carterton camp. If heavy rain makes the forest outing unsuitable, keep a town day and do not replace it with an unplanned river crossing.
Overnight: Carterton
Day 4: A Wairarapa day with room to change
Keep the final day around Carterton and whichever nearby town you skipped on the transfer. This is also the spare slot for Donnelly Flat if conditions improve and access is confirmed. Make lunch the centre of the day instead of adding a distant coast excursion. Finish in Carterton; a return to Wellington is a separate driving leg that needs its own road check and margin before any onward ferry or flight.
Overnight: Carterton
Reserve on each side of the hill
Arrange Lower Hutt and Carterton stays separately, with cancellation terms that suit an uncertain transfer day. Check SH2 in NZTA Journey Planner and local-road notices with councils. The route does not include a current closure schedule, ferry reservation or timed connection; keep your final departure commitment outside the walking day.
Keep Holdsworth a low-level day visit
DOC describes Donnelly Flat from the Holdsworth road end, returning via the foot of Gentle Annie Track. This itinerary does not continue to Powell Hut or cross the range. Take a shorter return or omit the walk when conditions warrant. The linked Holdsworth campground requires a separate overnight decision; the planned bed remains in Carterton.
