Remutaka Forest Park photos

About the Remutaka Range

Photos of the Remutaka Range in the Wellington region

The Remutaka Range forms the southern part of the main mountain chain running through New Zealand’s North Island. This chain extends from the Gisborne region to the south coast of the Wellington region. The range also forms a natural boundary between Wellington and the Wairarapa.

Turakirae Head, on the southern coast of the North Island, marks the southern end of the range, while the Remutaka Hill Road marks its northern boundary. Beyond this point, the Tararua Range continues north.

The western side of the Remutaka Range is lush and forested, as moist air rises over the hills and produces high rainfall. In contrast, the eastern side is warmer and drier, creating conditions that have helped support the thriving wine industry on the Wairarapa plains below.

The range is home to temperate beech forest, podocarp rainforest, and alpine vegetation at higher elevations. Numerous bush tracks pass through this varied landscape, alongside rivers such as the Orongorongo River and the Wainuiomata River.

Although the Remutaka Range is not widely known among international tourists, it is highly valued by locals as a destination for bushwalking, nature, and escaping the bustle of city life. Hunting is permitted in some areas, although restrictions apply, including within parts of Remutaka Forest Park near Wainuiomata.

For more photos of the Remutaka (Rimutaka) Range, visit Virtual New Zealand or Wainuiomata.Net.