Four kilometres from Wellington’s city centre, nestled within hills and bushland, Karori is an escape from the walls of concrete of the CBD
Escape the concrete jungle, and immerse yourself in a native, nature-clad suburbia.
Karori is one of the largest suburbs in NZ with some 15,800 residents and growing. On entering through the Karori Tunnel, the area acts as a major tourist transition from the City to Zealandia, and also the entry to other northern and western suburbs, to the Karori Cemetery, the Makara Peak Cycleway and the Makara settlement and beach.
It has been home to talented, noted artists; writer, Katherine Mansfield; artist, Mervyn E Taylor; artist and botanist, Nancy Adams CBE, QSO; internationally famous printmaker, artist and muralist, John Drawbridge; conductor, Sir William Southgate KB and pianist and musician, Margaret Nielsen ONZM, leading interpreter of the music of Douglas Lilburn who has resided in Karori for some 50 years.
Schools
Samuel Marsden School
At Samuel Marsden School, we’re striving for the ultimate goal: equipping girls for lives of meaning, accomplishment and genuine happiness. Marsden girls do well in life because they have confidence and self-belief. They have resilience—grit, we like to call it. They are creative, independent thinkers. And they see themselves as citizens of the world, with a responsibility to make a contribution.
Karori West Normal School
At Karori West Normal School, we explore a virtue each fortnight. We use the virtues to celebrate good behaviour and explain our behavioural expectations. The programme involves naming the virtues (our innate qualities of character) that the students exhibit in their learning and behaviour. Virtues are used by staff to acknowledge, guide and correct.
Recreation
Karori Park
This is a recreational area in a small block of forest above Karori Park. The area is situated between Makara Peak and Western Hills, so often forms part of a circuit through those areas, particularly via the Wahine and 98 Downhill tracks, plus entry/exit via Karori Park Loop.
Ben Burn park
Ben Burn park is a family friendly spot you can take the kids for a swing or to theow the frisbee around. A brand new playgound has been built on the side of Ben Burn Park, with a rope climbing-frame and swings set out in an octagon. Also a couple of fun interactive panels – one shearing a sheep and the other a clock. The play ground is at the end of the park which is nearest Karori Road.
Zealandia
Zealandia is the world’s first fully-fenced urban ecosanctuary, with an extraordinary 500-year vision to restore a Wellington valley’s forest and freshwater ecosystems as closely as possible to their pre-human state. The 225 hectare ecosanctuary is a groundbreaking conservation project that has reintroduced 18 species of native wildlife back into the area, 6 of which were previously absent from mainland New Zealand for over 100 years.
Skyline Walkway Trail
Allow up to 5 hours to traverse 12kms of Wellington’s ridge tops following the Outer Green Belt onto Mount Kaukau, the Crow’s Nest, Kilmister Tops and Johnston Hill. Take time to indulge in the stunning rural, city and coastal views along the way. On a clear day, views of the Kaikoura ranges, the Marlborough Sounds, Wellington city and harbour, and the Tararua and Orongorongo ranges will take your breath away. The completion of the track link between Makara Saddle and Chartwell was made possible with the support of Meridian Energy who agreed to grant public access over their Otari property and shared the costs of the track development.
