Walk Details
NZ Walking Routes > Wairarapa > Lake Wairarapa wetlands
Lake Wairarapa wetlands
- Location
To reach the Lake Domain, heading north from Wellington, turn off State highway 2 at the start of Featherston (about an hour’s drive) and onto the Featherston-Martinborough Road. Turn right onto Murphy’s Line and then right onto Lake Domain Road which takes you to the domain.
To get to the Wairarapa Lake Shore Scenic Reserve, heading north from Wellington, turn right off State highway 2 at the start of Featherston onto the Western Lake Road which takes you around the shores of the lake to the reserve.
To view the eastern lake shore Turn right off the Featherston-Martinborough Road onto the Kahutara Road and drive about 15 km until you reach Paerera Road on the right. About 3km down Paerera Road there is legal access, signposted, to the lake across a paddock.
- Description
The Lake Wairarapa wetlands are the largest wetland complex in the southern North Island, supporting native plants and animals of national and international importance.
The area offers many activities, including game bird hunting, fishing, bird watching, or perhaps just a stop off to take in the scenery while visiting the Martinborough wine country. Parts of the lake are used for boating and yachting. These wetlands are traditionally and spiritually important to Maori as an area for food gathering, including eel, fish, waterfowl, and plant material, in particular, flax and raupo.
The majority of the wetlands are protected as either conservation areas or wildlife and scenic reserves, managed by the Department of Conservation.
- Amenities
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- Birds
- Fishing
- Picnics
- Plant Life
- Toilets
- Source
- www.doc.govt.nz
- Discussion
- Start a discussion on this walk