Queen Elizabeth Park
http://www.gwrc.govt.nz/QEP
Queen Elizabeth Park
Mackays Crossing, SH 1
The Mackays Crossing entrance off SH1 gives access to Whareroa Beach and surrounding dunes, picnic areas, walking, cycling and horse riding trails, the Tramway Museum, WWII Marines displays, several wetlands and the kahikatea forest remnant.
For more information about other entrances check the Getting there tab in left hand menu.
Opening hours
8am till dusk
Dogs are welcome in some areas.
Dogs are not permitted on or near farmland.
Please keep your dog on a leash in the picnic areas.
About
Queen Elizabeth Park has something for everyone; stop in at our award winning arrival centre, Ramaroa for information on what’s on offer.
We have picnics, sand dunes and wetlands, bird watching, walking, cycling, horse riding trails, a pony club and a historic tram to take you to the beach where you can swim and fish. The tram operates 11:00 am - 4.30pm Saturday, Sunday and Public holidays (except Christmas Day).
Park notices
Planting days at QEP
Come along to Queen Elizabeth Park this planting season to help us with our restoration work!
16th June - Meet at the wetland on Poplar Ave opposite Matai Road
23 June - Meet at Raumati entrance at the end of The Esplanade
28 July - Follow signs from 90 Poplar Ave (opposite Te Ra School) to parking site
Come along any time from 10am to 12noon to lend a hand and a spade.
Spade Aid
11 August - Spade Aid is our biggest planting event of the season so we need your help to make it happen! Join in anytime between 10am to 2pm. If the day is wet then Spade Aid will be postponed for the 18 August.
For all events we will provide warm drinks and light snacks.
Please bring a rain jacket, warm clothes and sturdy shoes.
If you have them we would also love it if you brought along gardening gloves and a spade.
Access improved at Rainbow Court - Sept 2018
Following a number of enquiries over time about improving access to Queen Elizabeth Park at Rainbow Court, Raumati South, we’re going to trial completely removing the barrier there. The barrier was removed on 21/9/2018. There has been feedback from parents with buggies, cyclists / mountain bikers with child carriers and trailers, and people with mobility scooters all having difficulty accessing the park.
The barrier was originally put in place to prevent issues with motorbikes and horses. The main reason that motorbikes are prohibited at Queen Elizabeth Park is for the health and safety of legitimate park users. They can also do significant damage to the park environment in a very short time. With removal of the barrier we will be relying on the local community to actively look out for each other. Please contact the police if you observe motorbikes or scooters using this entrance to access the park.
Horses are not permitted on this section of track or the sealed Te Ara O Whareroa track due to the damage they can cause to the surface and potential clashes with other users. The nearest park access for horse riders is at Mckenzie Ave. See other permitted horse riding areas. If you do observe horse riders using this access point please report this to the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) contact centre on 0800 496 734.
Park history
US Marines camp at Mackays Crossing
The coastal setting, plentiful food and central location of what is now Queen Elizabeth Park have long attracted people to the area. Maori have been living here for hundreds of years and there were major settlements at Wainui and Whareroa up until the mid-1800s. Although the land was covered in forest, the numerous waterways were deep enough for canoes to be paddled from Paekakariki to Waikanae.
