From this trail they might head along Barking Emu track to where the old emu farm was, or to the South Coast through Te Kopahou Reserve. They may run to Karori around Zealandia’s predator-proof fenceline, or along Hawkins Hill to the radar dome, perched on the highest peak in Wellington’s southern hills.
“The beautiful thing about the dome is you can walk to that as a destination, or you can head to Tawatawa, south down to Red Rocks, west to Karori, or of course you can go down to the city. You can go in all directions – that’s what I like about it.”
And let’s not forget the remarkable views.
“You can see the entire Wellington region from up there – from Mount Kaukau, to Pencarrow, the harbour, down to Red Rocks and the South Island. It’s a full 360 – amazing!
“The thing about all these tracks is they meet up with other ones so it’s easy to choose your distance, and you don’t always have to come back the way you’ve been.
“And another thing is a lot of these tracks were created by people in our community, in collaboration with Wellington City Council, mainly by a group of dads. So that’s another thing we are really grateful for – our strong volunteer community.”
Mel, who is involved in the Brooklyn Food Group (community gardens) and Predator Free Brooklyn, says the tracks are well signposted and well maintained.
But she does warn people that in wet weather, particularly in winter, the tracks can “turn into a stream” so do take care. She also suggests people on the shared mountain biking track keep their ears free from headphones so they can listen out for cyclists and appreciate the birdsong.
“If you’re doing Brooklyn Wind Turbine Route for the first time just stay on the track. Follow the signposts and you can’t really go wrong.”