Cape Palliser: 4 km in Wairarapa
The Cape Palliser is a named day walk in Wairarapa. The governing figure used here is 4 km (DOC · Cape Palliser), not a straight line between towns.
Typical time on the route is Half day plus the drive. Grade: Coastal road + steps. Season window: Year-round.
The drive from Martinborough is the day. Fur seals at the colony. The lighthouse steps are the walk. Unsealed road, slips after rain. Martinborough or Wellington for beds.
The itinerary on this page is the published stop sequence: Martinborough, Lake Ferry, Seal colony, Cape Palliser lighthouse. Cabins and holiday homes load live around each stop; hut and trailhead pins without a town page still search by radius.
Book DOC huts and Great Walks on the DOC system where that applies. Town beds are what this site lists. Carry the day’s food on remote legs — several of these routes have no shop between ends.
Stop by stop
Martinborough — wine town, last shops. Lake Ferry — south coast village. Seal colony — fur seals. Cape Palliser lighthouse — 250 steps.
Distances, grades and seasons above follow DOC · Cape Palliser. Confirm opening dates, slips and hut bookings on the operator or DOC page before you travel; alpine and West Coast tracks close or reroute after weather.
