Wellington Botanic Garden 
Sensation Walk - Louis Braille Trail  - Directions 

Please note: Tactile markers on the ground indicate there is a Braille sign post near by. The signposts are usually placed on the ground but not always. 
Please request a Braille brochure from the Treehouse Visitor Centre to accompany these directions. 

From the Treehouse: 
1.	Walk down to your right from the door of the Treehouse, there is a ramp with wire netting and rails on either side. 

When you get to the end of the ramp go left for a metre then turn sharp right. The tactile markers and Braille sign should be directly in front of you. Walk forward until you find them. 

2.	Now, turn left 45 degrees then walk along downwards sloping path. 

You may find an uphill path in about 20 metres. Keep left and stay on the downwards sloping path. 

Trail the right hand side of this path. You may come across some stairs, ignore these and stay on the same path; this path will change from concrete to bark. 

Once you come across the bark about 8 metres in on the left is the next set of tactile markers. Be careful to stay within the rock line as there is a drop off just beyond them. 

3.	Continue along this path.

Once you get back to the concrete surface turn left to go downhill again. Try to stay in the centre of this path, or slightly left. 

At one point you will pass between two buildings then a path going left and a path going right. Keep going straight along the path you are already on. 

Just after you pass the path on the left stay left and you will find the next tactile markers up a rise in the path (made by tree roots), the tactile markers are to the right of the tree. 

4.	Once you are finished here carry on straight and keep walking towards the sound of the traffic. At the end of the rock line on the left follow it around to go sharp left. You will be walking towards the noise of the hydraulic lift. At this point you will need to move to the right of the path to follow the curb around into the fragrant garden. 

As you turn right the path will change from concrete to gravel.  

On your left you may find another path, this leads to a seat, but if you do not need to sit, carry on another eight to ten metres and you will find the next tactile markers on the left. 

5.	Carry on through the fragrant garden, when the surface changes from gravel to concrete again carry on in a straight line until you go down a very steep slope and find one of the rock lined edges of the path which veers off to the right. If you start to go uphill it is the wrong path, the downhill one with brick drains along the right edge is the correct one. 

Go straight along this path, you will find some uneven paving, this is the entrance to the sound shell lawn, turn right and follow the path along its edge. There are seats all the way around on your right and lawn on your left. 

Once the surface changes back to concrete go up a very steep hill to the end of the rock wall on the right side and turn 45 degrees left to find the next tactile markers on the left side of the new path. The Braille sign is above the hedge. 

Once you are finished there, go over to the other side of the path and follow it  along, you will find some tactile markers that are an extension of the one you just read about so there is no Braille sign, just the moss you have read about.  

6.	Continue to trail along the right side and you will start to go up another path, at this point if you stay left and go downhill you are at the main entrance onto Tinakori Road and so you will leave the route. If you start to go up hill you are on the right track. Try to stay right on this path as there is a drop off on the left hand side. 

Some way up you may find two sets of stairs but stay on the path.  

The path will gently turn right over a hump and then left then right. The traffic will be behind you and then on your left shoulder. After this cautiously move to the left and use plants and pine needles as your shoreline.  

You will find the next tactile markers on this side of the path. 

7.	Once you are finished here, go back to the right hand side and trail along the rock wall. You will pass an entrance to another path, but carry along the one you are already on. 

After another 50 metres or so and after the path starts to go uphill again cautiously move over again to the left side of the path to find the rock line. If there is no rock line go further to the right again and try a bit later.  

You will find the next tactile markers on your left; you will need to step up onto some bricks to find the Braille sign. 

8.	If you continue left you will find a paved atrium with seats all around. 

To continue the trail, go back, off the bricks, to the right hand side of the path and turn right onto a level bricked path. If you trail along the left side of this path you will find a paved recess with a bench, sit on the left side of this seat and put your hand out in front and slightly to the left and you will find the Braille sign. 

9.	Now go back the way you came and stay right, until the surface changes to concrete again. Follow the wire fence along your right side and you will come to a short set of stairs. There should be the noise of the fountain in front and below you but the fountain is sometimes turned off. 

After about two metres you will find the next tactile markers on your left, the Braille sign will be at plant height. 

10.	Carry on down the slope until you find another set of stairs that curve around to the right. There is a rail on the right but it stops halfway along. There is a platform and then another set of stairs to the right. Another sloping path goes for about 20-30 metres then there is a number of stairs on the left and two platforms then another 20-30 metres of path.  

The surface will change and become rough at the end of this path then there is another set of stairs and another long stretch of path that curves right. There is no rail here. 

Turn left then there are two sets of stairs without a rail and a platform before you get to the garden’s internal road. Check for traffic then go straight across towards the sound of the fountain if it is playing. The path will be gravel; you are now in the rose garden. There are seats interspersed on both sides. When the path changes to concrete go around to your left, go past the small ramp and you will find the last of the tactile markers. The Braille sign is up on the grass. 

You have finished the trail. 

To get to the café in the rose garden follow these directions: 

Go back the way you came towards the path, keep the fountain on the left. 

Pass that path and carry on until you find the next one, go down it. There are seats interspersed on both sides. 

You will come to a set of wide stairs, go up them and carry on straight until you get to the wall. 

Turn left and trail the wall on your right as it winds around. There are a lot of seats here. 

You will eventually come to a door, the handle is placed quite low, go through here, turn left, and go through the next set of doors; the handle on these is also placed quite low. 

You are now in the café.