Pencarrow Lighthouse to Baring Head
This is extended route of the Great Harbour Way. Permission is needed to do route as it crosses private land; see further below on how to go about this. Well worth it as the views from the Baring Head lighthouse are fantastic. And you can book a stay at the historic lighthouse cottage.
Distance: 10km return
🚶 Average walking time: 2 hours
🚲 Average cycling time: 45 minutes to 1 hour
⛰ A gentle hill-climb up to the lighthouse
🚻 Public toilets by the Baring Head lighthouse
Surface: gravel tracks
Getting Permission
There is no public access between Lake Kohangatera, Parangarahu Lakes to Baring Head/Ōrua-pouanui (Fitzroy Bay) without the permission of the two private landowners. If you require access, please contact the Park Ranger at least one week prior to your ride. Clearly state the size of your group, date of your ride, contact phone number, and if you are on hired or private bikes.
Route Map
The route starts at Lake Kohangatara and is typically done after walking up to the Pencarrow Lighthouse. When you walk up to the Baring Head lighthouse make sure to follow the signs to avoid taking the path to the private property below the lighthouse.
You can take a side trip to walk up to the Baring Head radar bunkers.
Points of Interest
These lakes are highly sacred (wāhi tapu) to the local Māori Iwi. Historically, they served as vital mahinga kai (food-gathering sites) for harvesting tuna (longfin eels).
The SS Paiaka Wreck is the rusting iron hull of a small 1881 steam launch that washed ashore during a severe storm in Fitzroy Bay along the Pencarrow Coastal Trail.
Built in the 1930s, this now fully automated 12m tall concrete lighthouse is still operational. Great views from here over the Cook Strait and the entrance to the Wellington harbour.
You can stay overnight in one of the two beautifully restored former lightkeeper’s cottages, originally built in 1935. Booking information.
Baring Head radar bunkers
Built during World War II (around 1935–1942), these bunkers served as a coastal defense observation post and radar site to spot shipping traffic moving through Cook Strait.
Baring Head was the birthplace of bouldering in New Zealand. Particularly on nice sunny weekend days you can enjoy seeing keen climbers in action.
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.
