Date: 11th January, 2020.
Location: Hikoikoi Reserve, Petone. Park on Marine Parade (check out this map from GWRC)
The Hutt River trail runs all the way from the river entrance in Petone to Upper Hutt. It's 29km's long and has lots of points where you can access it. It's brilliant for bikes, buggies and scooters.
There is a nice loop from Hikoikoi Reserve in Petone to Sladden Park (and back).
We park in Hikoikoi Reserve near the entrance to the Hutt River, there is a pathway here that runs northwards alongside the river. You stroll past some interesting boat sheds then along a boardwalk as you wrap around under the bridge.
If you keep going up on the left-hand side of the river you walk through the beautiful Shandon Golf Course which pops you out next to Sladden Park. In Sladden Park there is a playground and toilets.
If you continue northwards from the playground, through the sports field and under the bridge you will find a pedestrian walkway across the train bridge. This is a big highlight for our kids, but the trains can be quite loud. In contrast to worrying about loud noises…if your kids aren't worried (and not surprisingly our lot are not) they can wave furiously at the passing trains, this is usually rewarded with a toot and a wave from the train conductor, thanks Metlink.
Once you get to the other side of the bridge you can return back towards Petone on the opposite side of the river. There is another bridge to cross in Petone which will pop you back out at the boardwalk. There are usually
fisherman on this bridge. Our two like to inspect the different fish (or fish guts) in the buckets.
Beautiful walk!
Age of Kids: 5 & 7
Walking Time: 1-2 hours
Length: 5-6km loop or you can walk 29km up to Upper Hutt :)
Difficulty: Easy
Buggy Friendly?: Yes - but you do need to cross a grassy sports field so you’d need something solid.
Wet Feet: No
Amenities: There are toilets in Sladden Park and Hikoikoi Reserve
Dogs: Yes - but they will need to be on a lead in some area's
Cellphone Reception: Yes
Be Aware: It can get cold and windy when there's a southerly