Leaping Lizard

One of the original Makara Peak trails and offers something different in the Wellington area. It's a fast rough and relatively wide plunge down the valley that suits big bikes and rewards staying off the brakes.

It doesn't get a lot of maintenance, so the chutes near the bottom can change after heavy rain. It ends at the most remote part of the park at which point you can exit out via Bail Out to the end of South Karori Road, or climb back into the park via the steep and challenging Possum Bait Line.

Track starts off with a fast roller coaster style downhill along an old farm 4WD track. You will pass a left hand branch that takes you down Nikau. From here the track switches back into single track, which is tight in places and increasingly steep and loose.

Access Info

From the end of Missing Link, head straight up the 4WD track rather than turning right into Aratihi and grind your way up for around 10 minutes. Alternatively, from the peak join Upper Leaping Lizard for a solid non-stop run to the bottom.