You can visit Massey Regional Park in many ways:
Map of the Park
1. Scorching Bay and Fort Ballance/Gordon
2. Massey Memorial and gun batteries
3. Shelly Bay and historic buildings
4. Maupuia Walkway
5. Lookout and Infantry Redoubt
6. Coastal road and beaches
7. Internal walking tracks
The main access is through Miramar which can be reached by bus or car or cycle.
1. Scorching Bay and Fort Ballance/Gordon
Scorching Bay provides the finest sandy swimming beach in Wellington set against a scenic backdrop of regenerating native forest,
looking out to the Pencarrow Coast and overlooked by Fort Ballance to the north.
It provides a carpark, picnic areas, childrens playground, toilets, and changing rooms.
To access Fort Ballance/Gordon, walk up a rough path at the north end of the grass above the road,
or go around to Mahanga Bay and up the road.
There you will find a unique old military fort with observation posts and gun emplacements gaurding the entrance to Wellington Harbour.
Be careful among the ruins.
2. Massey Memorial and gun batteries
Massey Memorial is a grand stone memorial set on Point Halswell at the northern tip of the Miramar peninsula.
It is the tomb of Prime Minister William Ferguson Massey, and occupies the site of the former Point Halswell gun battery.
It is a popular romantic destination.
It can be accessed by steps and a good walking track from a carpark on Shelly Bay Road, a little to the southwest of Point Halswell.
A rough track leads up the ridge behind to some old building sites that serviced the gun battery.
From here a rough track leads east and descends to Massey road along the coastal scarp.
Also a rough track leads further up the ridge to a seperate WWII anti-aircraft gun battery with spectacular views of our City and harbour..
3. Shelly Bay and historic buildings
Park at the south end near the walking track up the hill.
There is ready access to the rocky beach, where a picnic and swim is possible.
You can walk near the old defence wharves, and up walking track up the hill past many old storage bunkers in the pleasant pine forest..
4. Maupuia Walkway
This wide and sociable walk has broad views over Evans Bay, and the planes visiting Wellington airport.
Parking is at either end in Prison Road or Akaroa Drive.
It is most pleasant in the mid afternoon sun.
5. Lookout and Infantry Redoubt
Once you park at the north end of Nevay Road, you can walk north to the lookout
with panoramic views across pleasent rural farmland to the expanse of Wellington Harbour with the islands of Makaro,
Matiu/Somes Island, and Mokopuna.
On the right as you walk north is the subtle site of the Mt Crawford Infantry Redoubt.
6. Coastal road and beaches
The coastal sealed road is narrow and is used by many cyclists and runners.
It provides a pleasant scenic drive/run/cycle that continues around the entire Miramar Peninsula.
It is also suitable for picnicking, swimming at some beaches, and diving and fishing.
There is limited parking along the way, restricting your ability to stop and visit the many rocky beaches.
7. Internal tracks
The internal tracks along the many old military roads provide pleasant walks with expansive views of the harbour,
often through old pine forest or regenerating native forest, or across rural farmland.
Many of the tracks are ideal for family mountainbiking as they are wide and gently graded.
How to get there
Map of the Park
If travelling by private vehicle:
Head east along Cobham Drive towards Miramar. The coastal road is narrow, with restricted parking.
There is ample parking and toilets at Scorching Bay, ample parking at Shelly Bay, limited parking at Massey Memorial, limited parking near the Prison, and at the Akaroa Drive and Prison Road entrances to the Maupuia Walkway.
If travelling by public transport:
Take a No 2 or 31 bus to Miramar (Mon-Sun), or No 11 to Seatoun (Mon-Sun),
or a No 24 bus to Maupuia and Prison (Mt Crawford) (Mon-Fri),
or a No 30 bus to Scorching Bay infrequently (Mon-Fri)
The Dominion Post ferry runs between Queens Wharf and Seatoun Wharf infrequently (Mon-Sun).
To find the easiest way to get to the park by public transport, see Greater Wellington's journey planner.
If travelling by bicycle:
Follow the cycleway from Oriental Bay, around to Evans Bay Parade, and Cobham Drive, leading to Shelly Bay Rd and Massey Road and Karaka Bay Road around the edge of the Park.
See Greater Wellington's Wellington City cycling map for other routes.
