Explore/New Zealand/NZ/Remutaka Hill & Cape Palliser — Wellington to the Wild South Coast

NZWellington, New ZealandModerateMixed

Remutaka Hill & Cape Palliser — Wellington to the Wild SouthCoast.

Distance

130 km

Duration

1 day

Climb

1,000 m

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Curated by Rider · Updated Jun 2026

Overview

Remutaka Hill & Cape Palliser — Wellington to the Wild South Coast.

From the capital, SH2 climbs the tightly twisting Remutaka Hill — a long-time favourite of Wellington motorcyclists — into the Wairarapa wine country. From Martinborough the route runs down to the wild, windswept south coast and the red-and-white Cape Palliser lighthouse, the North Island's southernmost point.

Quick facts

SurfaceMixed

Distance130 km

Days1

Total climb1,000 m

DifficultyModerate

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Day-by-day

The route.

ROUTE

6 stops

WellingtonStart · Start in the capital. Ride north through the Hutt Valley to Upper Hutt, where SH2 begins its climb over the Remutaka Range.

Remutaka Hill Summit (555m)Mountain Pass · About 4.5km of tight, cambered switchbacks each side of the 555m summit — a classic Wellington motorcycling road. Watch for cyclists and winter ice.

FeatherstonRestaurant · First Wairarapa town at the foot of the hill. Home to the Fell Engine Museum, the last of its kind in the world. Coffee and bakery stop.

MartinboroughScenic Point · A village built around a Union-Jack-patterned grid of streets, now the heart of Wairarapa pinot noir country. Cellar doors ring the square.

Lake FerryScenic Point · A remote pub and black-sand lagoon on the south coast where Lake Onoke meets the sea. The road turns wild and exposed from here.

Cape Palliser LighthouseEnd · The North Island's southernmost point. A fur seal colony sprawls along the rocks and 250-odd steps climb to the 1897 lighthouse. The final stretch is gravel.

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