Emedee

Western Hills, Wellington, New Zealand

Gentle 4wd traverse from the Wilton electricity sub-station to the Western Hills ridge. This is an official access to the Skyline track, in fact it's even sign-posted as Skyline which continues the confusing theme of naming several tracks with that name.

Easy

Bike and Foot

From the carpark at the sub-station follow the 4wd road as it traverses along under a small hill with a transmission tower on it. Ignore the right-hand 4wd track that goes up to the tower.

After crossing a few rustic gates you will come to an information board on your left with some local history about the area. There is a small cattle yard here and another gate. From here the track traverses the main hillside heading north. You climb at a gentle gradient for a good kilometre passing under a transmission tower.

Just after crossing a sturdy gate with style on the left you will come to what I call Skyline proper. You can head north towards Crowsnest and Mt Kaukau, or left up a steep climb towards Wrights Hill and Makara Peak.

Follow Chartwell Drive (off the high point of Churchill Drive) all the way up up up, past the houses, past the pine trees to the carpark outside the gates to the Wilton electricity sub-station. Emedee starts at the low gate to the north. There are signposts etc here.

A bit about the name: I couldn't find anyone who had a name for this track. The best I could get was "the MED track" after the old electricity department. So I made one up based on MED, Em-e-dee. Get it?

2.10km

4wd

31 Jan 2010 by Ian

Jonny