Zealandia Fenceline Track
Karori · Wellington
This walk was suggested by the community and checked against the authority quoted above before it was published. The route line comes from official track data. Wellington City Council’s own wording: “Wellington City Council Dog Policy 2024, section 5.2: "The general rule in Wellington City is that dogs should be on a leash at all times unless otherwise specified." The fenceline carries no off lead designation in the council's dog areas layer, so the leash rule applies for its whole length. Dogs are prohibited inside Zealandia itself, which the policy lists as a prohibited public place at Waiapu Road, Karori”. Evidence: the rule-setter’s own published wording. How we check dog rules.
Good to know
Dogs are allowed here. Keep them on the lead, watch for ground-nesting birds and stock, and read the signs at the gate.
About Zealandia Fenceline Track
Zealandia Fenceline Track is a long walk of 8.5 km, near Karori in Wellington.
The Fenceline Track follows the outside of the predator-proof fence that rings Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne, the fenced ecosanctuary in the Karori valley. It is a wide, well-maintained 4WD trail rather than a bush track, and it climbs and drops steadily around the ridges. The full circuit is roughly 8.8 kilometres and takes most walkers two and a half to three hours. Birdsong carries over the fence for much of it. You can join it at several points and leave at several others, which is part of its appeal. The common starts are the Zealandia car park on Waiapu Road, the base of the Brooklyn wind turbine, and George Denton Park in Highbury. The Highbury and Karori ends are linked by suburban streets rather than by track, so a full loop involves a few hundred metres of footpath. Mountain bikers use the same trail and come downhill at speed, so keep to one side on the blind corners. Dogs walk on lead the whole way. Wellington's Dog Policy makes a leash the default across the city unless a place is specifically designated otherwise, and none of the fenceline is designated for off lead exercise. The nearest off lead area, the parade ground at Wrights Hill, sits about 90 metres away and is separate. Dogs are not permitted inside Zealandia itself at any time. The leash matters here more than most places. Wild kiwi were recorded on trail camera in Wright's Hill Reserve on the city side of Karori in August 2025, the first time the birds have ranged these hills in about 150 years, and Zealandia's own guidance to dog owners is blunt about it: a single bite can be fatal to a kiwi. Aversion training does not replace the leash. Georgina, who sent this one in, asks that you pick up after your dog here and take it out with you, since this is a working buffer around a sanctuary rather than an ordinary park.
Expect hard going, with around 352 m of climb, and takes about 2 hr 17 min to walk.
Dogs are allowed here, on the lead. This walk is on the map because Georgina & Ash suggested it, and we checked it against the source above.
