Karapoti Gorge is one of the entrances into the Akatarawa Forest, a regional park in the
Wellington Region
Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori language, Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is the southernmost regions of New Zealand, region of the North Island of New Zealand. The local government region covers an area of , and ...
in New Zealand. The
Akatarawa River West runs through this narrow, mostly bush-clad
gorge
A canyon (; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tend ...
towards the
Akatarawa Valley
The Akatarawa Valley is a valley in the Tararua Range of New Zealand's North Island. It provides a link from the upper reaches of the Hutt Valley to Waikanae on the Kāpiti Coast through rugged hill country. The valley is lowly populated and co ...
. A narrow road winds its way along the steep slopes, providing access for trail biking, mountain biking and walking. Karapoti Gorge is also the starting leg of the annual
Karapoti Classic mountain bike event, which runs on the network of tracks in the Akatarawa Forest.
Rock formations of the Wellington Region
Canyons and gorges of New Zealand
Akatarawa Forest
{{Wellington-geo-stub