Island Bay

Living in Island Bay

Island Bay sits on Wellington's south coast, around 6 km from the CBD at the end of The Parade, facing the island that named it, Taputeranga, and beyond that, nothing but Cook Strait weather until Antarctica. Around 8,000 people live here, in a seaside suburb that manages to feel like a fishing village that acquired a city rather than the reverse.

The fishing village part is real. Italian fishing families settled here from the early 1900s, Wellington's own little Italy, and the heritage survives in the surnames, the boats, and the annual blessing of the fleet during the Island Bay Festival, which remains one of the city's best community days out.

The water is the daily show. The Taputeranga Marine Reserve wraps the coast, with a snorkel trail for the brave and rock pools for the sensible, and the Bait House marine education centre on the beach introduces Wellington children to what lives under their southerly swells. The Parade's cycleway, meanwhile, has absorbed more public consultation than some constitutions, a saga locals discuss with connoisseur-level weariness.

Island Bay School and St Francis de Sales cover the primary years, with the city's colleges a bus ride north. The southerly arrives unfiltered here. The locals consider it a feature. They're right.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Island Bay

Schools in zone for Island Bay

Children living in Island Bay have a guaranteed right to enrol at these school, based on Ministry of Education home zones.

• Hutt International Boys' School

  Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 653 · decile 10

Check your school zone

Other nearby schools

Schools close to Island Bay that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

• St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)

  Full Primary · roll 196 · decile 10 · 1.2 km away

• Island Bay School

  Contributing · roll 324 · decile 10 · 1.4 km away

• Owhiro Bay School

  Contributing · roll 82 · decile 9 · 1.6 km away

• Houghton Valley School

  Contributing · roll 201 · decile 7 · 2.1 km away

• Berhampore School

  Contributing · roll 264 · decile 3 · 3.0 km away

• Lyall Bay School

  Contributing · roll 275 · decile 7 · 3.2 km away

• South Wellington Intermediate

  Intermediate · roll 335 · decile 5 · 3.4 km away

• Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School

  Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 9 · 3.7 km away

• Rongotai College

  Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 719 · decile 4 · 3.8 km away

• St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)

  Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 208 · decile 6 · 3.8 km away

• St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)

  Full Primary · roll 128 · decile 5 · 3.9 km away

• Evans Bay Intermediate

  Intermediate · roll 337 · decile 7 · 4.2 km away

• Newtown School

  Contributing · roll 310 · decile 4 · 4.2 km away

• St Annes School (Newtown)

  Full Primary · roll 215 · decile 5 · 4.2 km away

• St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)

  Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 725 · decile 8 · 4.3 km away

• Scots College

  Composite · roll 1171 · decile 10 · 4.5 km away

• Kahurangi School

  Full Primary · roll 259 · decile 3 · 4.7 km away

• Brooklyn School (Wellington)

  Full Primary · roll 368 · decile 8 · 4.7 km away

• Kilbirnie School

  Contributing · roll 204 · decile 10 · 4.8 km away

Rubbish & Recycling

Collection data sourced from Wellington City Council. Recycling day from WCC’s public GIS layer (last updated August 2022).

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