Tawatawa Reserve is a 64-hectare nature reserve between Kingston and Ōwhiro Bay in south Wellington, owned by Wellington City Council. It is being restored to native forest, with regenerating bush, wetlands and a native tree nursery. Around 4 km of tracks are open to walkers and mountain bikers, and there is an off-leash dog exercise area. The highest point, about 180 metres above sea level, has a carved pouwhenua of Te Rauparaha and Te Rangihaeata, and a lizard garden along the City to Sea Walkway has native plants such as tī kōuka and mānuka.
Access is from the Murchison Street car park, and the dog exercise area is a two-minute walk along the paved road. The restoration is led by the Southern Environmental Association with the council, and the website says volunteers have planted more than 50,000 plants and trees since 1994. We hear a 2026 Community Planting Day is planned in the dog exercise area, with a sausage sizzle afterwards. The reserve links to other reserves, including Te Kōpahou, which connects it to Zealandia.