Quatro dias podem ir do compacto centro de Wellington até a região vinícola de Wairarapa e a costa selvagem de Cape Palliser. As distâncias são moderadas, mas o vento e a estrada de Remutaka decidem o quão relaxados eles se sentem.
Atravesse a Cordilheira Remutaka
Saia de Wellington após o horário de pico e pegue a State Highway 2 em direção a Featherston. Vento forte, chuva e trânsito podem tornar a travessia cansativa numa autocaravana com laterais altas, por isso reduza a velocidade ou atrase em vez de lutar contra o veículo.
Martinborough e Greytown são bases práticas com alimentação, locais alimentados e viagens locais curtas. Se o vinho fizer parte do dia, caminhe, ande de bicicleta com cuidado ou faça um passeio em vez de deslocar o veículo.
Dia do Cabo Palliser
A estrada que passa pelo Lago Ferry se estreita e passa perto do mar antes do Cabo Palliser. Verifique as ondas, o vento e as condições recentes da estrada e deixe luz solar suficiente para o retorno.
Mantenha distância das focas e nunca bloqueie a estrada ou o acesso de barco ao redor de Ngawi. As escadas do farol são íngremes e a costa oferece pouco abrigo quando chega o sul.
Retorno pelas cidades
Aproveite a última manhã para visitar as cidades menores de Wairarapa ou fazer uma caminhada pelos pântanos e depois cruzar a cordilheira antes que o cansaço e o trânsito noturno se combinem.
Um parque de férias na área de Wellington pode ser a noite mais elegante antes da balsa. Fornece lavanderia, energia e uma partida previsível sem adicionar problemas de estacionamento no centro da cidade.
The Rimutaka Hill Road sets the tone
The road between Upper Hutt and Featherston climbs steeply with tight corners and is exposed to the wind that Wellington is known for. It is fine in a car and demands real attention in a campervan or with a trailer, particularly in a northerly.
Check the road status before crossing, because it closes to high-sided vehicles in strong wind and occasionally altogether. The alternative routes are long, so a closure changes the whole day rather than adding twenty minutes.
Cape Palliser is the best day on the loop
The drive out past Ngawi to the lighthouse takes you along an exposed coast lined with bulldozers used to launch fishing boats, past the largest fur seal colony on the North Island, to 250 steps up to the lighthouse. It feels considerably more remote than its distance from Wellington.
Keep well back from the seals, particularly between pups and the water, and never get between an animal and its escape route to the sea. They move faster than they look and will defend the space.
Martinborough works on a bicycle
The wineries sit in a compact grid within easy riding distance of the village square, which makes cycling between them the standard and sensible way to do a tasting day. Bike hire is available in the village and removes the drink-driving question entirely.
Book a table for lunch somewhere in advance on a weekend, because the village is small and fills. Most cellar doors charge a tasting fee that is credited against a purchase.
Wellington itself needs a plan for the vehicle
Parking a campervan in central Wellington is difficult and expensive, and the height restrictions catch people out in the central car parks. Base yourself in the Hutt Valley or at a coastal campground and use the train or bus into the city.
Te Papa is free and genuinely world class, and the cable car and Zealandia are both worth a half day. None of that requires the van to be anywhere near the centre.
Putangirua Pinnacles and the coast road
The Pinnacles are a badlands formation of eroded gravel spires reached by a walk up a streambed, and they were used as the Paths of the Dead in the film trilogy. The valley route is a scramble over loose rock; the ridge track above gives the overview and takes longer.
The road out to Cape Palliser beyond the Pinnacles is unsealed in places and can be affected by slips and by the sea in a big swell. Check conditions before committing, particularly in a large vehicle, because turning around is difficult.
Ngawi, the fishing village with a line of bulldozers on the beach, is the most photographed part of this coast and a good place to stop. There are no services beyond it, so fuel and food come from Martinborough or Featherston.
Zealandia and the city wildlife
Zealandia is a fenced urban sanctuary where kaka, takahe, tuatara and tui are common and visible, and the night tour offers a realistic chance of seeing kiwi close to the city centre.
It books out, particularly the night tour, and it is a much better wildlife experience than most people expect from something inside a capital city.
Lugares ao longo do caminho
Leve-o para a estrada
Salve as paradas. Planeje toda a viagem.
Crie uma rota ordenada a partir de locais salvos, calcule a distância e guarde datas, notas e tarefas anexadas.