The mouth of the Hutt River has moved significantly in its history, meandering from one side of Petone to the other. More recently, since European settlement, it changed direction to its current course due to a major earthquake in 1855 which raised the riverbed.
The river was named after Sir William Hutt, chairman of the New Zealand Company. One of the Maori names for the river was Heretaunga, which is also the name of an Upper Hutt suburb and secondary school. The river has a good stock of brown trout, and can be walked or cycled from Upper Hutt to Petone along tracks on either side, though the eastern bank is more accessible.
Members of the public can regualary be seen fishing along these lower banks of an evening, and it is not uncommon to see Kawhai and the occasional brown trout pulled from this exact spot.
Recently the local vounteers have extended the extended the Wainui Mountain Bike Park trails around pass this point. On the right day this is a amazing place to picnic with stunning views of the harbour and valley.