One of the most varied and spectacular hikes in Wellington, walking the Makara Walkway & Opau Loop Track was a great way to spend a few hours.

I walked the loop in a clockwise direction, starting from wild Makara Beach.

The track soon headed steeply up the cliffside.

At the top are the remains of Fort Opau, which was garrisoned by 100 soldiers during WW2, who would have enjoyed these grand views.

The walkway heads along this steep sealed road but I took the Opau Loop Track which extends the loop and makes for a more varied and challenging descent back down to sea level.

This area was clearly forested at one point.

The walk goes through a large wind farm, West Wind, owned by Meridian Energy.

Gorse is an imported pest, but does add colour to the landscape.

A brief rain shower was rewarded by a rainbow.

After recent heavy rain the track was muddy and slippery, but scenic.

This huge pile of driftwood marks where the track rejoins the coast.

Though flat, it was tougher than expected walking from here, along rocky beaches close to high tide.

After scrambling over these rocks it was a relief to return to a track for the final stretch back to Makara Beach.