TRAILS, TREES & TRAPS

Unsubstantiated fact: Wellington has the quickest downtown access to a myriad of quality mountain bike trails of any capital city in the world.

Substantiated fact: Polhill Reserve—nestled between Aro Street to the north and the Brooklyn wind turbine to the south—is increasingly a goto destination for getting into nature by bike or on foot.

Once you enter the Wellington City Council-managed Town Belt Reserve, three powerful forces come into play: trails, trees and traps—and they’re all enabled by dedicated volunteers.

This trifecta of goodness enriches a locale that attracts an estimated 100,000 users per year. As the kākā flies, this playground and environmental success story is just an