Polhill Reserve bike tracks
Access: Numerous access points, including Highbury Road, Holloway Road, Aro Street, Karepa Street, Ashton Fitchett Drive.
Tracks: Polhill Reserve is a well-used mountain biking area in Wellington.
One of the most used tracks in the city isTransient – climbing from Aro Valley up to a four-wheel-drive track called Sawmill and on to the Zealandia fence line. From here you can carry on up the Fenceline track and onto a track called Windmill, which leads into Te Kopahou Reserve. This leads to the Brooklyn wind turbine. Drop back down from the wind turbine via Car Parts, Fenceline, Rollercoaster, Highbury Fling and Ikigai – then onto the exhilarating Serendipity(grade 4) or skip Rollercoaster and Highbury Fling and join Ikigai from its start on the Fencline track.
You can also ride up Clinical, off Holloway Road, to connect to the tracks that lead to the wind turbine.
No-go areas: No biking on Waimapihi loop or adjacent tracks. No downhill bikes on the top section of Transient to the Karepa link.
Look out for: Two-way tracks used by other riders, runners, walkers and buggies. Give way to walkers and runners.
Special features: Minutes away from central city, bird life, native bush, great views, wind turbine, close to craft beer pubs.
History: Most of the tracks have developed progressively by Brooklyn Trail Builders.
Best place to start: From Holloway Road head up Clinical, and along Highbury Fling . Or head up Transient from Aro Street, then take Sawmill and then Windmill up to the Brooklyn Turbine.
Polhill Reserve