Great Harbour Way - Pencarrow-Baring Head

This route carries on from Pencarrow to Baring Head along the beautiful wild, rugged coast line of the East Harbour Regional park. Along the way you will pass the Parangarahu Lakes (Kohangapiripiri and Kohangatera). These lakes are highly sacred (wāhi tapu) to Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika, and swimming is not allowed in them. You will also see the 1906 wreck of the SS Paiaka. And be able to spot various sea birds. Please stay clear of the nesting areas. Closer to the lighthouse you can follow the gravel road up to views of the Cook Straight / Raukawa. Or you can carry on along the shore line to get to the Baring Head Boulders, from where you can do a steep climb up to the lighthouse.

Our vision is that in time the Great Harbour Way will extend all the way to Baring Head, but for now permission is needed to access this route. See the note below.

Distance is 7km and takes 1 hour 45 minutes to walk and 30 minutes to bike.

WARNING: The route from Pencarrow / Lake Kohangatera to Baring Head / Ōrua-pouanui (Fitzroy Bay) crosses private land, so you will need prior permission to ride or walk through here. If you require access, please contact the Park Ranger at least one week prior to your ride or walk along this route. Clearly state the size of your group, date of your ride or walk, contact phone number, and if you are on hired or private bikes when intending to cycle.

This coastline is notoriously exposed and the frequent strong northerly winds can make the return journey very hard, particularly if you are cycling. It is not unusual to be blown of your bike by gale force winds!

Map & video History Route Guide Stay at the Lightkeeper's Cottage

Map, Route GPX file, and 3D flyover simulation video

Below you'll find a route map, a downloadable GPX file compatible with any walking or cycling navigation app, and a 3D flyover simulation video of the route.

3D flyover simulation with photos of the Pencarrow - Baring Head route

History

Baring Head, officially known as Ōrua-pouanui, is a prominent headland at the entrance of the Wellington Harbour, notable for Māori cultural significance and as the site of New Zealand's first fully electrified lighthouse. The station, which operated from 1935 to 1989, also served as a key WWII lookout and an atmospheric research hub.

The history of Baring Head spans several major eras:

Māori Significance: Known traditionally as Ōrua-pouanui (meaning the place of the den/retreat of Pouanui), the area has deep roots in early Cook Strait exploration and is the resting place of the ancestor Pouanui.
Lighthouse Era: Built on land gifted by the Riddiford family, the lighthouse was lit in 1935. It holds the distinction of being the first in New Zealand designed to run entirely on electricity rather than oil or gas. It replaced the aging Pencarrow Head lighthouse and was manned by lightkeepers and their families until 1989, when the station was fully automated.
Military Use: During World War II, the site served as an essential coastal watching and radar post, with lightkeepers performing vital defense duties.
Climate Research: In 1972, the station became home to the Baring Head Atmospheric Research Station, operated by NIWA. It provides the longest continuous record of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the Southern Hemisphere.

Today, the site is managed by the Greater Wellington Regional Council as part of East Harbour Regional Park and features the preserved historic lighthouse complex. The beaches and rock formations below are also recognized as the birthplace of bouldering in New Zealand.

[Source: Greater Wellington Regional Council]

Route Guide

The Parangarahu Lakes (Kohangapiripiri and Kohangatera)

After visiting the Pencarrow Lighthouse, the route to Baring Head starts of the Prangarahu lakes and moving southeast, the route follows the gravel Pencarrow Coast Road alongside two rare, land-locked freshwater wetlands.

These lakes are highly sacred (wāhi tapu) to Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika. Historically, they served as vital mahinga kai (food-gathering sites) for harvesting tuna (longfin eels). Geologically, these lakes are magnificent anomalies—originally open valleys that were cut off from the ocean by massive beach ridges thrown up by ancient earthquake activity.

Because of the sacred nature of these lakes, you are not allow to swim in them!

Fitzroy Bay to Baring Beach

The track edges along Fitzroy Bay, an isolated, raw stretch where massive waves crash onto pebble beaches.

This treacherous coastline is a graveyard for ships. Along this stretch, you walk past the general location of the 1906 wreck of the SS Paiaka. The bay was also a historic source of shingle and gravel extraction that helped build early Wellington.

Cycle route to the Baring Head Lighthouse

Take the track / dirt road that leads up the hill and follow the signs to the lighthouse. From here keep climbing the track up to the remains of the WWII bunker before taking the track back downhill to the coastline track.

Walking route to the Lighthouse via the Bearing Head Boulders

Keep following the coastline track to the Bearing Head Boulders. Before climbing to the headland, you arrive at the base of Baring Head, where the Wainuiomata River cuts through to the sea.

This area is widely celebrated as the birthplace of bouldering in New Zealand. The unique, weather-sculpted rock formations at the base of the cliffs have drawn climbers since the 1970s.

The Climb to Baring Head Lighthouse

A steep path leads you up from the beach terraces onto the high plateau of the headland, terminating at the Baring Head Lighthouse complex.

Known traditionally as Ōrua-pouanui ("the den of Pouanui"), the headland marks early Māori navigation through the Cook Strait. In 1935, the Baring Head light was switched on, immediately replacing the Pencarrow light because its automated, fully electric design was far more efficient. Just behind the lighthouse stand the historic military barracks and concrete observation posts used during World War II to guard the capital against naval threats.

The Return Journey

You can simply return to Eastbourne the way you came. Or you can carry on over the hill to the Baring Head bridge carpark where you can be picked up or ride the Coast Road back through Wainuiomata, or continue on the Wild South Coast as part of the Remutaka Cycle Trail Great Ride (read more on the Other Trails and Routes page).

[Source: Greater Wellington Regional Council]

The Baring Heads Lighthouse

Climbers at the Baring Heads Boulders

1906 Wreck of the SS Paiaka

Stay at the Lightkeeper's cottage

You can stay overnight in one of the two beautiful restored former light keeper's cottages with wonderful views from Baring Head. When you make a cottage booking, you will be given permission to take your vehicle on the 3km long park access road and park it near the lighthouse complex.

More information including how to make the booking can be found at this site.

[Source: Greater Wellington Regional Council]