Makara PeaK
Skills Park
Ride, Progress, Play
Brief
Location: Mākara Peak, Wellington, New Zealand
Land Manager: Wellington City Council (WCC)
Trail Standard: New Zealand Mountain Bike Trail Design & Construction Guidelines - August 2022
Length: Within existing defined park boundary
The Mākara Peak Skills Park is part of a wider initiative by Trails Wellington to develop purpose-built mountain bike skills areas alongside existing trail networks. This conceptual design supports rider progression, encourages outdoor recreation, and fosters community engagement. The park will feature elements reflective of real bike park conditions to help riders build confidence and technique in a supervised environment. Developed in partnership with Wellington City Council, the design will guide stakeholder discussions and inform future planning stages.
Conceptual design within the defined park boundary to include:
Maintain access for service vehicles up to 16 m in length to the transmission tower
No earthworks permitted within 12 m of the tower base
Skill development features ranging from beginner to expert
Emphasis on replicating bike park features to support progression in a controlled environment
Short trails incorporating corners, rollers, drops, and mixed surfaces, ranging from Grade 2 to Grade 4, suitable for both rider development and coaching
Progressive drop section (Grade 2 to Grade 5), flowing left to right
Open area for free riding and beginner practice (e.g., manuals, bunny hops)
Grade 3 and Grade 4 jump lines
Jump sequences to include wide spacing, allowing beginners time to recover between features
Optional structures such as see-saws, raised skinnies, balance beams, shark fins, and wall rides—only if space permits
Rest and viewing area
Reuse of existing picnic table
Terrain ANALYSIS
The terrain was analysed using a high-resolution 1m LiDAR model and GIS software to identify optimal alignments for the skills park.
Satellite imagery is used to identify tree cover, and existing infrastructure.
Height mapping illustrates elevation changes across the site and helps determine ideal start and end points to maximise the available descent or ascent.
The site is already clear of vegetation and has hosted a jump track. Mapping results identified the north most point as the highest and a suitable launch point, and the south most as the lowest and an ideal finish point. These are already used in the current layout. The elevation difference and distance between them, will dictate the lengths of the trail possible.
LiDAR DEM Source: Land Information New Zealand - Wellington City LiDAR 1m DEM (2019-2020)
Scan Date: 2019
Resolution: 1m
Highest point: 231m
Lowest point: 223m
Elevation Difference: 18m
Design Overview
In consultation with stakeholders, and based on the site’s topography and access requirements, the following layout has been identified as the most effective starting point for the Mākara Peak Skills Park:
Skills Development Zone (West):
Positioned close to the park entry and the existing picnic table, this area flattens out after the northern starting hill, making it ideal for beginner-friendly features and coaching activities. Riders can develop core skills without intersecting the faster, more advanced jump lines.Jump Lines – Grade 3 & 4 (East):
Located on the eastern side, this zone allows riders to carry momentum from the start hill into the jump lines. This layout supports a natural progression and ensures separation between beginner riders and those moving at higher speed, improving both safety and flow.
NEXT Phase..
The team at Trails Wellington is currently gathering reference images and examples of features they’d like to see incorporated into the Skills Development zone. Once this input is collected, Advanced Trail Design will begin defining the optimum trail alignments to make best use of the terrain, ensuring flow, progression, and integration with the broader site layout.
References
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