Page Type:
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Mountain/Rock |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
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41.29619°S / 174.79617°E |
Activities:
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Hiking |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter |
Elevation:
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643 ft / 196 m |
|
Overview
[Editors note - I took this page over as it had fallen into disrepair and had a lack of images. I hope to add more of the hills around Wellington (such as Kaukau 445 m, Hawkins Hill 495 m etc.) to round it out some. Some of the current text is from the original, unknown author.]Mount Victoria is the overlook for the capital city of New Zealand, Wellington. At 196 m (643 feet) above sea level, it's not by any stretch of the imagination a "mountain" but it is nonetheless worth a walk up in order to enjoy the incredible views of the city of Wellington.
Mount Victoria's original Māori name is Tangi Te Keo and the locals today simply call it "Mt. Vic." On top of the mountain is a large communications tower and a visitor centre. There you see the bronzed cannon where they fired everyday at noon up until the early 1930s.
Its a great area complete with parks and bike trails. Wonderful for a picnic when the weather is nice, and an even better place for kids and/or dogs to take out for the day. There are a number of trails which can be combined to form extended loops (see links below).
View from the top - Evans Bay and Miramar
Getting There
Mount Victoria can be accessed by foot, car, bus, bike, and any other form of transport. There is regular bus service to the lookout several times a day and the top of the mountain can be seen from most places within the city limit. Most people walk or run up through some of the various parks to the west or via Lookout Rd from the east. Local parking (except in designated places on the top) may be complicated by resident permit issues etc. except at least on Sundays.Note that the actual summit is where the trig point / marker is (close to the large radio tower) rather than where the main lookout is that everyone congregates on.
There is another good lookout in the summit area which gives views over Evans Bay, the Miramar peninsular and more of the water rather than the city. Like the actual high point, this lookout is barely visited vs. the main one.
Mt. Vic is accessible at all times of the day or night, so good for sunrises and sunsets.
External Links
Homeowners association near the peakLoops and trails