Baring Head

The reserve includes the lower reaches and mouth of Wainuiomata River and the coastal encampment around Baring Head. The rugged hills are visible from parts of Wellington City.

Baring Head is one of the Wellington Region's “coastal habitats of significance for indigenous birds”. There are at least nine at-risk bird species: the black shag, Caspian tern, New Zealand pipit, pied shag, pied stilt, red-billed gull, variable oystercatcher, white-fronted tern and the banded dotterel. The banded dotterel has a breeding site at Baring Head.{{Cite book|last=McArthur|first=Nikki|last2=Ray|first2=Samantha|last3=Crowe|first3=Patrick|last4=Bell|first4=Mike|date=2019-08-20|title=A baseline survey of the indigenous bird values of the Wellington region coastline|url=https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Our-Environment/Environmental-monitoring/Environmental-Reporting/Wellington-coastal-bird-survey-report-July-2019-v4.pdf|page=43|publisher=Wildlife Management International|access-date=19 January 2020|archive-date=4 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210104053927/https://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Our-Environment/Environmental-monitoring/Environmental-Reporting/Wellington-coastal-bird-survey-report-July-2019-v4.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Within the beach and coastal encampment there are also many lizard species, rare spider, moth and cicada species. and cushion plants, spinifex and sand tussock. The river has species of dwarf inanga and other fish, and tororaro (Muehlenbeckia astonii) grows nearby.{{cite journal |last1=Lowe |first1=D. C. |last2=Guenther |first2=P. R. |last3=Keeling |first3=C. D. |title=The concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide at Baring Head, New Zealand |journal=Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography |date=1 January 1979 |volume=31 |issue=1 |pages=58 |doi=10.3402/tellusa.v31i1.10410 |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3402/tellusa.v31i1.10410 |access-date=8 December 2023 |issn=1600-0870|doi-access=free }}

Baring Head was once an important place for traditional food gathering by local Māori.{{cite web |title=Baring Head / Ōrua-pouanui Leaflet |url=http://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/Parks-and-Recreation/East-Harbour/WGNDOCS-878100-v1-BaringHeadleaflet.pdf |website=gw.govt.nz |publisher=Wellington Regional Council}}

The Baring Head Lighthouse was constructed in 1935. Its launch marked the start of electrification of light houses in New Zealand. It was initially supplied by diesel generators before being connected to mains electricity in 1950.

Several lookout posts were established on the headland during World War II.

The lighthouse was fully automated in 1989.

In the 1990s, Energy Direct (formerly the Hutt Valley Electric Power Board) applied for resource consents to build a what would have been the first wind farm in New Zealand. The Wellington Regional Council rejected the application and the applicant did not appeal. The site at that time was in private ownership.{{cite book | last1 = Pyle | first1 = Eric | title = Case study on the development of the wind industry in New Zealand — Report for APEC | date = September 2016 | publisher = New Zealand Wind Energy Association | location = Wellington, New Zealand | url = http://www.windenergy.org.nz/store/doc/Case-Study-on-the-Development-of-the-wind-industry-in-New-Zealand.pdf }}{{rp|20–21}}

In June 2010, a consortium including Wellington Regional Council purchased a {{convert|284.6|hectare|acre|adj=on}} property near the Baring Head lighthouse for addition to the East Harbour Regional Park. The purchase was made with financial contributions from the New Zealand Government's Nature Heritage Fund, the Department of Conservation, Hutt City Council and a private benefactor. The purchase will protect a wide range of landscape, scientific, historical, ecological, cultural and recreational values. The area was opened to the general public on 13 February 2011.{{cite web |title=Looking to the future of Baring Head/Ōrua-pouanui |url=http://www.gw.govt.nz/assets/council-publications/Looking%20to%20the%20future%20of%20Baring%20Head.pdf |website=gwrc.govt.nz |publisher=Wellington Regional Council}}

Since 2011, the Friends of Baring Head has worked alongside the regional and city councils, Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika, Birds New Zealand, and other groups in a range of activities, including pest control, rāhui, signage and fencing, and community education.{{cite news |title=Greater Wellington Supports Banded Dotterels’ Increasing Hatching Stats With New Strategy |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2108/S00188/greater-wellington-supports-banded-dotterels-increasing-hatching-stats-with-new-strategy.htm |agency=Wellington Regional Council |publisher=scoop.co.nz |date=11 August 2021}} It has also worked with the regional council to redevelop and enhance the lighthouse cottages and garden.{{cite web |title=Baring Head / Ōrua-pouanui |url=http://www.gw.govt.nz/focus-on-baring-head-orua-pouanui-redevelopment-of-the-lighthouse-cottages-and-compound/ |website=gw.govt.nz |publisher=Wellington Regional Council}}

File:Baringhead co2 v9.svg

File:New Zealand atmospheric methane concentrations.svgThe Baring Head Atmospheric Research Station was established on the headland in 1972, under the leadership of Dave Lowe.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/115040931/kiwi-dave-lowe-found-measurable-proof-of-climate-change-50-years-ago--hes-watched-in-horror-ever-since |title = Dave Lowe found measurable proof of climate change 50 years ago - he's watched in horror ever since |first=Joel |last=MacManus |date=21 September 2019 |accessdate=21 September 2019 |publisher = Stuff}} It has been operating ever since, with extensive research being published based on its records.{{cite web |title=Publicly available data and publications |url=https://niwa.co.nz/atmosphere/facilities/baring-head/publicly-available-data-and-publications |website=niwa.co.nz |publisher=National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research}} The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center in the United States has a record of measurements from 1970 to 1993,Manning, M.R., A.J. Gomez, and K.P. Pohl. 1994. [http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/co2/baring.html Atmospheric CO2 record from in situ measurements at Baring Head]. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531191745/http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/co2/baring.html |date=31 May 2010 }} In Trends: A Compendium of Data on Global Change. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A. and from 1977 to December 2007.Keeling, R.F., S.C. Piper, A.F. Bollenbacher and J.S. Walker. 2008. [http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/co2/sio-nzd.html Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Record from Baring Head New Zealand], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100528130009/http://cdiac.ornl.gov/trends/co2/sio-nzd.html |date=28 May 2010 }} Atmospheric CO2 records from sites in the SIO air sampling network. In Trends: A Compendium of Data on Global Change. Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tenn., U.S.A.

The park can be accessed by foot during most of the year from the mouth of the Wainuiomata River, but people are advised not to cross the river when it's discoloured or in flood.

Dogs, fires, fireworks, and trail and quad bikes are not permitted at any time. Recreational vehicles are not permitted beyond the carparks. Visitors must take rubbish, and must not remove plants, animals or rocks.

There is a marked walking and cycling route from the main entrance, passing the Old Pump Shed, the Baring Head Lighthouse, and the

Para Trig and World War II Bunkers. A return walk to the Para Trig takes about three hours. Horse riding is permitted on the track by permit only.

Along the route is a set of natural rock formations, used by bouldering. Rock climbing website ClimbNZ describes the rea as "the birthplace of bouldering in New Zealand" and list over 200 climbing routes on the rocks.{{Cite web|url=https://climbnz.org.nz/nz/ni/wellington/baring-head |title=Baring Head |website=climbnz.org.nz}}

Visitors are advised to carry warm and waterproof clothing, sufficient food and drink, wear strong lace-up footwear, inform others of their plans, and watch out for vehicles along parts of the track.

• Geography of New Zealand

• [http://www.baringhead.org.nz/index.htm Friends of Baring Head]
• [http://www.gw.govt.nz/baring-head-orua-pouanui Baring Head/Ōrua-pouanui on Greater Wellington's website]

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{{Lower Hutt}}

{{Wellington Regional Council}}

{{Protected areas of New Zealand}}

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Category:Lower Hutt

Category:Headlands of the Wellington Region

Category:Cook Strait

Category:Wellington Harbour

Category:East Harbour Regional Park