Red Rocks Coastal Walk — Ōwhiro Bay

Elevation profile

How long it takes

Easy pace (7:00/km)

39 min

Steady pace (6:00/km)

34 min

Quick pace (5:00/km)

28 min

An estimate: the pace on flat ground, plus a little extra time for every metre you climb. Work out your own pace with the pace calculator.

The run

A flat 5.4 km out-and-back along Wellington's wild south coast, from the Te Kopahou Visitor Centre at the end of Ōwhiro Bay Parade to the Red Rocks, the pillow lava that gives the walk its name. The surface is an unsealed coastal track over gravel and rock, with Cook Strait and the Kaikōura ranges across the water. The track carries on towards Sinclair Head if you want to go further.

Good to know

There are toilets at the visitor centre. The track is a 4WD road: it is closed to vehicles on Sundays from 9am to 6pm, which is the quietest time to run it. Fur seals haul out along this coast in winter, so keep at least 20 m away and keep dogs on a lead and well back. Greater Wellington can close the area in high fire danger. A southerly makes this a very different run, so check the forecast.

• Parking: Free
• Toilets
• Dogs: On-leash
• Best time: Off-peak