Gollan’s Valley Station

Greater Wellington purchased the 1,366-hectare Gollan’s Valley property in July 2025. The property links the Northern Forest and Parangārahu Lakes sections of East Harbour Regional Park.  

The land includes valuable wetlands, native bush, and open spaces, making it one of the most significant land acquisitions in recent times.  

The property is highly significant to Te Ātiawa ki Te Upoko o te Ika (Taranaki Whānui) and is upstream of the culturally and ecologically significant Parangārahu Lakes.

What is happening? Public access by the end of 2026 

Since its purchase, Gollan’s Valley Station has been in a care and maintenance phase including:  

• Securing and monitoring the site  
• Managing pest animals and weeds  
• Assessing the land’s ecological values  
• Beginning long-term planning for restoration and future use  

In October 2026, the Greater Wellington Council decided to accelerate public access to the property.   

Work to enable public access will be focused on wayfinding (signage, trail markers) and track clearance along two key walking routes:  

• Butterfly Creek to Gollan’s Valley Loop – linking the Northern Forest to Gollan’s Valley via Butterfly Creek and returning via gravel road to Burdan’s Gate 
• Coastal Tramping Track – establishing a hill-top track along the coast above Pencarrow Road towards Parangarahu Lakes.  

Initial public access to the property is expected by the end of 2026.  

Please check for access updates on the East Harbour Regional Park webpage. 

Visiting the Valley 

Visitors are expected to have a reasonable degree of confidence with navigation, rough tracks, and stream crossings. Consider the area as back-country tramping. There are no amenities such as shelters, toilets, or easy walking tracks. 

Visitors must respect the private property of the tenants living on the farm and not disturb the farm animals present. There is strictly no hunting in the Valley.

If fire risk reaches high levels, access to Gollan’s Valley will be restricted, alongside possible restrictions in other high-risk areas of East Harbour Regional Park.  

Working in partnership with mana whenua 

The land at Gollan’s Valley is highly significant to mana whenua. We are committed to working in partnership with Taranaki Whānui to enable this land to fulfil both its cultural and environmental potential.  

The partnership approach will guide our plans for this special taonga and help create a space that all our communities can treasure and enjoy.  

How you can help 

Environment teams are managing this property alongside their existing restoration and maintenance priorities throughout the region. The best way you can support this mahi is by  respecting signs, restrictions, and instructions from rangers.  

Stay in the loop 

Access updates and trails will be listed on the East Harbour Regional Park webpage.  

To be the first to hear about updates keep an eye on our social media, or sign up to our fortnightly newsletter, Tō Tātou Rohe.