Discover Upper Hutt: parks, art and craft experiences

Upper Hutt offers a mix of active park experiences, art and crafts. At Maidstone Park, bush tracks and sports facilities meet at a lookout; Whirinaki Whare Taonga and Lucky’s Tattoo Museum add cultural highlights. There are also craft breweries, entertainment and hands-on courses. When planning your trip, you can weigh up different interests and choose which experiences will shape your stay.

Park landscapes and active hours at Maidstone Park

Maidstone Park is Upper Hutt’s most central park, just a short walk from the town centre. Several bush tracks run between the main park and Kingsley Heights. There is also an expanded, state-of-the-art skatepark, extended in May 2021, and a purpose-built 1,100-metre downhill mountain bike track. The paths, skatepark and mountain bike track offer different ways to spend active hours in the park.

Brett Latimer Lookout offers a picturesque view of Upper Hutt City and the Hutt Valley. Along with its paths and sports facilities, Maidstone Park also has a dedicated scenic viewpoint. The park’s location is a useful anchor when considering where to stay: it is just a short walk from the town centre.

Galleries, history and crafts

Whirinaki Whare Taonga is a five-minute walk from the railway station and is on the main bus route. Its five galleries feature changing exhibitions of New Zealand and international art, local art and crafts, and historical exhibitions. The programme brings several themes together under one roof, from art from New Zealand and abroad to history.

Lucky’s Tattoo Museum offers another cultural and historical perspective. It documents the social and artistic history of tattooing through an extensive collection of tattoo art and artefacts dating from the 1940s to the present day. For a hands-on experience, there are also courses: Stackhouse Knives offers craft workshops ranging from two-hour introductory sessions to five-day courses. The Potters’ Roost runs beginner classes in wheel throwing and hand-building. The courses vary in both duration and craft, so check individual course dates before your trip.

Craft experiences and entertainment

Brewtown is a craft beer village with several craft breweries, a variety of entertainment options and a boutique distillery. Activities include axe throwing, escape rooms, go-karting, bowling and mini golf. Brewtown thus combines craft breweries and distilling with a range of entertainment. As individual offerings and schedules may change, it’s best to check what suits your travel dates before visiting.

More experiences in the wider destination of Upper Hutt City

In the wider destination of Upper Hutt City, nature and history complement the offerings at Maidstone Park. Harcourt Park is a starting point for the Hutt River Trail, an easy scenic walking and cycling route with access to the river for swimming, fishing and kayaking. At Kaitoke Regional Park, you can swim or kayak in the Pākuratahi River and take day hikes through lush forest. The park is also the filming location for Rivendell in Lord of the Rings.

In the wider destination of Upper Hutt City, the Remutaka Rail Trail is an 18-kilometre, gently climbing route for walking, running or mountain biking; access is from Upper Hutt via Pakuratahi Forest. Information panels tell the story of the former railway line, and the trail also features restored railway bridges and historic tunnels. The routes have distinctly different profiles: Maidstone Park has a purpose-built 1,100-metre downhill mountain bike track, while the Remutaka Rail Trail offers a different scale, with 18 kilometres of gentle ascent.

There is also a historic site in the wider destination of Upper Hutt City: Upper Hutt Blockhouse was built in Trentham, Upper Hutt, in 1860 and is a rare surviving example of this type of defensive building in New Zealand.

Discover more destinations: Silverstream, Trentham.

Back to the wider travel overview: Upper Hutt City.