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Location & access
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route. Check the official route directions before travel.
Official location informationLocation source
DOC track reference point, not a verified trailhead, entrance or the whole route.
Reference point: -41.14682, 174.80915. WGS84 coordinates retained at the official service's returned precision; decimal resolution is not survey accuracy. Source positional accuracy is not specified.
DOC Maps walking and tramping reference point (WGS84), exact official-page GUID / Department of Conservation. Checked 2026-10-12.
Key facts
- Distance
- Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time
- 3-5 hr return
- Track grade
- Easy
- Location
- Rangituhi/Colonial Knob Scenic Reserve
- Dog access
- No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Checked against official sources on 8 October 2026. Rules and conditions are set by Department of Conservation — confirm with them before you go.
Route overview
Climb to the summit of this 468 m peak for views on clear day from the Inland Kaikoura Range in the south to Mt Taranaki in the north-west - it's a good option for older children. This track is part of Te Araroa Trail.
This DOC directory entry covers Rangituhi/Colonial Knob Walk in Wellington, within Rangituhi/Colonial Knob Scenic Reserve. Where DOC groups several walks, times and grades refer to the listed options rather than a single continuous itinerary.
Distance, time and grade
- Distance: Not confirmed on the checked DOC page; see individual route sections
- Walking time: 3-5 hr return
- DOC grade: Easy
Access and alerts
Source checked 2026-10-08. This page is a dated snapshot, not a live track-status report. Check current DOC route information immediately before travelling. An absence of listed alerts does not establish that a route is open.
Dog access
No dogs. Other pets on conservation land rules.
Description
This track is part of Te Araroa Trail.
There are three routes up to Rangituhi/Colonial Knob, offering a loop walk taking from three to five hours.
One starts at the Broken Hill Road carpark (at Spicer Botanical Park). This is the more scenic route taking you into the Rangituhi/Colonial Knob Scenic Reserve, past the man-made lakes which once supplied water to Porirua Hospital, and through Kohekohe forest.
You can also get up from Raiha Street through the Porirua Scenic Reserve, and from Raiha Street up the gravel Farm Road to the radio station.
Take in the views from the top of this 468 metre high hill rising to the west of Porirua City. On a clear day you can view many other high points from the Inland Kaikoura Range in the south to Mt Taranaki in the north-west. Towards the north it's possible to see as far as Waikanae. Southward are the suburbs of Tawa and Johnsonville. Just below is the city of Porirua and its harbour (a unique drowned river valley) stretching out towards Paremata and the Pāuatahanui Inlet. The seaward outlook takes in Kapiti and Mana Islands, and on a clear day the South Island.
An Airways New Zealand radio station on Rangituhi/Colonial Knob assists with the radar control of aircraft, through a beacon which checks Hawkins Hill radar in Wellington and Tokomaru/Mount Robertson radar in the South Island.
Getting there
The track starts at the Broken Hill Road carpark at Spicer Botanical Park, or from Raiha Street in Porirua.
Know before you go
The track passes through private farmland in places, keep to the marked route. No dogs or mountain biking.
Weather on the highly exposed summit can quickly change. Have raincoat, warm clothes, food, water and good walking shoes.
Related links
Porirua City Council website
Nature and conservation
Early Māori named this peak Rangituhi (sky glow). Viewed from the harbour at sunset on a summer night the hills do indeed light up with a red glow.
Rangituhi/Colonial Knob is one of several remnants of a peneplain – an eroded landmass that existed 30 million to 40 million years ago, before it was raised by earthquakes and erosion began to form hills.
The trek to Rangituhi/Colonial Knob takes you through some of the last remaining native forest in the Tawa-Porirua basin. Most of its original cladding of rimu and rata was logged, although some mature trees survive in the Porirua Scenic Reserve.
The forest today comprises mainly kohekohe, tawa and some rewarewa. On the higher slopes it is dominated by mahoe with broadleaf, stinkwood and mapou. These species are often associated with higher altitudes, reflecting the influence of the weather on this environment.
Sources and reuse
Route descriptions and practical information reproduced from the Department of Conservation, Crown copyright, under CC BY 4.0, subject to DOC's copyright policy. Formatting has been adapted, including flattening page sections; follow the original DOC page for maps, section-specific layout, current notices and linked documents. Outdoor Next is independent and is not endorsed by DOC.
The accompanying photograph is a licensed general hiking illustration, not a photograph of this route.
