Quick Info
- A paved path on the hill, with grass beside it
- Half of a ‘circuit’ that includes Ataturk Memorial
- Green and hilly
- Around 6 to 8 spaces in the off-road carpark; more parking nearby at the Tarakena Bay boat ramp
Table of Contents
Access for wheelchairs, and pushchairs
- The chicane style gate at the coast entrance on Moa Point Road should allow wheelchair access. The other entrance (Bowes Crescent): unknown. If you can help us with this detail please leave a comment below.
Facilities
- Rubbish bin: at the coast entrance
- Toilets: no.
- Seats: not in the off-leash area, but there are seats up at the Memorial itself, which is an on-leash area.
- Lighting at night: no.
Description
Ataturk Memorial off-leash area is on Wellington’s South Coast, near the airport, at Tarakena Bay, Wellington, New Zealand.
Ataturk Memorial dog off-leash area, looking down from the top.
The Ataturk Memorial off-leash area is close to Lyall Bay. If you don’t want to go to the beach, it’s only a few minutes drive round the coast to this pleasant off-leash area.
The May 2008 Dog Exercise Area Survey found:
In May 2008, a dog exercise area survey was distributed to registered dog owners. There were 3494 responses, 38.9% of registered owners. The purpose of the survey was to find out where Wellington city dog owners exercise their dogs and which designated dog exercise areas are used most/least. Lyall Bay beach was the most frequently mentioned exercise area with more than three times the responses received for the second most mentioned area — Ataturk Memorial. It was identified that the most popular exercise areas are those that have the features of safety, parking, rubbish bins, a water source and interest for the dog.
It’s a pleasant walk to do the ‘circuit’ that includes the Memorial itself. The off-leash area is a paved path, with grass to one side, that goes up the west side of the hill in a reasonably gentle steady slope. Start at the bottom, at the coast, or come in from the top off Bowes Crescent.
From the top of the off-leash area you can continue on the Eastern Walkway (on-leash) or turn to head towards the Memorial (on-leash) and then down the steps back to the coast carpark.
Near the top of the off-leash area is a wider patch of grass. The off-leash area is probably around 500 metres long.
This is area #45 on the City Council map: Ataturk Memorial, Eastern Walkway (107Kb PDF):
grass valley on left arm of walkway heading north from the Memorial.
Terrain
- A steadily sloped off-leash area
- Paved path
- Water: a creek at the bottom of the gully.
Delights
- Ocean views.
- Greenery
- Update June 2012: off Moa Point is the trial wave turbine power generator, visible from most of the Ataturk walk as a few small orange dots in the sea. See Wave turbine in Wellington for more information.
Dangers
- Pindone poison.
- Diphacinone rat poison. [Sign spotted on a visit in February 2012.]
Little blue penguins live here.
Cautions
- Dogs could run out to the carpark or road from either end of the walk.
- Rabbit poop.
- Little Blue Penguins nest in the areas nearby. Please don’t allow your dogs to wander beyond the boundaries of the walkway.
Road access
Access by road or foot is easy, and there is some parking. The main access points are from Moa Point Road on the coast and from Bowes Crescent (beside #36) on the hill. As this is part of the Eastern Walkway, there is also pedestrian access from Bury Grove, on the hill, near #13.
See page 2 of this post for a photo album.
Location (see the map)
- Latitude: -41° 20′ 23.04″ (-41.339733)
- Longitude: +174° 49′ 12.27″ (174.820075)
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
A friend and I walked two dogs here yesterday on one of the most glorious Wellington days I’ve ever seen. The walk was stimulating – but not too much – and the views superb. You feel like you’re a long way out of the city when you walk up here!
The seat by the memorial was a nice resting point for the two-legged ones to gaze out over the sea while the dogs ran around sniffing rabbit trails and the like. It would seem that rabbit poop is an added bonus to dogs and who are we to limit such small pleasures.