The reserve is located on the hills west of Tawa and Linden. Access is via Broken Hill Road, off Raiha Street, which connects Kenepuru Drive and Prosser Street in Elsdon, Porirua.
Rangituhi/Colonial Knob Walking Track passes through the reserve, connecting the Broken Hill entrance with the Raiha Street entrance to Porirua Scenic Reserve.
Toilets by Elsdon Youth Camp are available for public use.
Rangituhi/Colonial Knob Scenic Reserve and the adjacent Porirua Scenic Reserve protect the most significant area of native forest left in the Tawa - Porirua Basin.
The landscape is steep and undulating, rising to 468 metres above sea level. Rangituhi/Colonial Knob is one of several visible remnants of a peneplain - an eroded land mass that existed 30 - 40 million years ago. Earthquakes have since raised the peneplain, and it has eroded to form these hills.
The view from the summit of Rangituhi/Colonial Knob extends from the Inland Kaikoura Range in the south to Mt Taranaki in the north-west. The islands of Mana and Kapiti are clearly seen offshore, and the drowned river valleys that make up Porirua Harbour are a prominent feature of the landscape. This is the only drowned river valley system in the Wellington region.
In the late 19th century two reservoirs were built in Rangituhi/Colonial Knob Scenic Reserve to supply Porirua Hospital, but became redundant when the hospital was connected to the Porirua City water supply.
| Wellington/Kapiti information | |
| Phone: | +64 3 546 9339 |
| Email: | nelsonvc@doc.govt.nz |
| About: | Whakatū/Nelson Visitor Centre provides visitor information for this area |