Otaki is the northernmost town on the Kapiti Coast, around 70 km north of central Wellington on SH1 and the Capital Connection rail line. It sits between Waikanae (south) and Levin (north).

What is Te Wānanga o Raukawa?

Te Wānanga o Raukawa is one of New Zealand's three Māori-language universities, with its main campus in Otaki. Established in 1981, it offers tertiary programmes grounded in Māori knowledge and te reo Māori.

Where is Otaki Beach?

Otaki Beach is around 3 km west of central Otaki, with a small village strip and a long sandy beach. It's reached via Tasman Road, with regular bus services and parking on Marine Parade.

How do I get from Wellington to Otaki?

The Capital Connection train from Wellington to Otaki takes around 75 minutes. By car, around 70 minutes via SH1 off-peak, longer at rush hour. Regular bus services also connect Wellington to Otaki.

What is Rangiātea Church?

Rangiātea Church on Te Rauparaha Street is a Category 1 heritage site originally built in 1851 under Te Rauparaha's leadership. The original burnt down in 1995; the church was rebuilt to the original design in 2003.

Which schools are in zone for Ōtaki?

Children living in Ōtaki are in zone for Otaki College. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Ōtaki?

Use the School Zone Checker on this page — enter your address to check your school zone and see which schools you have a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Ōtaki, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Ōtaki

Otaki is the northernmost town on the Kapiti Coast, around 70 km north of central Wellington. It's been a Māori cultural and political centre since the early 19th century, when Te Rauparaha brought Ngāti Toa to the area, and that heritage still defines the town today. Te Wānanga o Raukawa, one of New Zealand's three Māori-language universities, has its main campus here.

The town centres on Main Street, with the Otaki Heritage Bank, antique shops, opportunity shops and a Pak'nSave. The Otaki River runs through to the coast, where Otaki Beach sits 3 km west, with its own small village strip and a long sandy beach.

Otaki Railway Station is at the inland edge. The Capital Connection train (from Palmerston North) and shuttle buses connect to Wellington commutes. The Otaki Racecourse hosts national racing carnivals, particularly the Otaki Māori Trotting Cup.

Schools include Otaki College (state co-ed secondary) and several primaries with strong te reo Māori programmes. Rangiātea Church (originally 1851, rebuilt 2003 after a 1995 fire) on Te Rauparaha Street is a Category 1 heritage site. The annual Te Wānanga o Raukawa kapa haka competition draws performers from across the country. Worth a slow afternoon, particularly on a sunny Saturday.

Is Ōtaki a good place to live?

Ōtaki is home to roughly 5,643 people. On Suburb's overall livability scale, Ōtaki scores 56 out of 100, with a safety score of 40/100 and 15% green space.

Schools: Ōtaki has 6 schools in or near the suburb, spanning early-childhood through to secondary education. See the Schools tab below for the full list.

Housing: The estimated median value is around $650K, and weekly rent typically sits around $450.

Lifestyle: Ōtaki has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 16.1°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Ōtaki is right for you depends on what you’re looking for. Use the data and community tips below to decide if it suits your lifestyle, family and budget.

Map

Livability Breakdown

Safety40
Amenities100
Schools56
Housing Affordability58
Green space50
Community22
Transport10

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $650K
Median Weekly Rent: $450/wk
Median HH Income: $86K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +11.5%
Data Year: 2023

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

† Est. Median Value is suburb.co.nz's own estimate, modelled from available public data. We aim for accuracy, but where data is limited, estimates may be imprecise.

Nearby Suburbs

Browse all suburbs in Kapiti Coast District →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Otaki?: Otaki is the northernmost town on the Kapiti Coast, around 70 km north of central Wellington on SH1 and the Capital Connection rail line. It sits between Waikanae (south) and Levin (north).
What is Te Wānanga o Raukawa?: Te Wānanga o Raukawa is one of New Zealand's three Māori-language universities, with its main campus in Otaki. Established in 1981, it offers tertiary programmes grounded in Māori knowledge and te reo Māori.
Where is Otaki Beach?: Otaki Beach is around 3 km west of central Otaki, with a small village strip and a long sandy beach. It's reached via Tasman Road, with regular bus services and parking on Marine Parade.
How do I get from Wellington to Otaki?: The Capital Connection train from Wellington to Otaki takes around 75 minutes. By car, around 70 minutes via SH1 off-peak, longer at rush hour. Regular bus services also connect Wellington to Otaki.
What is Rangiātea Church?: Rangiātea Church on Te Rauparaha Street is a Category 1 heritage site originally built in 1851 under Te Rauparaha's leadership. The original burnt down in 1995; the church was rebuilt to the original design in 2003.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Ōtaki

Schools in zone for Ōtaki

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

Otaki College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 428 · decile 4

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Ōtaki. School enrolment zones (home zones) decide which schools your child has a guaranteed right to enrol at.

Address matching is approximate and based on OpenStreetMap geocoding — confirm an exact result near a zone boundary directly with the school.

Other nearby schools

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

Otaki School
Contributing · roll 202 · decile 4 · 1.1 km away
Waitohu School
Contributing · roll 228 · decile 5 · 1.5 km away
Te Kura ā Iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano
Composite · roll 202 · decile 3 · 1.9 km away
TKKM o Te Rito
Composite · roll 97 · decile 5 · 1.9 km away
St Peter Chanel School (Otaki)
Full Primary · roll 19 · decile 4 · 2.0 km away

Explore Ōtaki

Things to do(12)

Nga Purapura

Otaki Domain

Pasadena Ranch

Otaki Bowling Club

GKR Karate

H.E.A.R.T.S. Charitable Trust

Haruatai Park

Body and Soul Fitness

Ōtaki Racecourse

Otaki Sports Club

Otaki Memorial Park, Otaki

Otaki RSA Darts Club

Parks & green spaces(4)

Otaki Domain

Pasadena Ranch

Haruatai Park

Otaki Memorial Park, Otaki

Healthcare

Pharmacies and clinics for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	22.05	15.01	3.48	11.09
☀️ Feb	20.76	14.73	5.48	10.34
🍂 Mar	18.76	12.04	5.19	9.49
🍂 Apr	17.99	11.46	6.33	7.86
🍂 May	15.65	9.52	7.49	7.12
❄️ Jun	14.22	7.98	3.61	6.59
❄️ Jul	13.1	7	4.68	6.37
❄️ Aug	12.59	6.99	9.12	7.6
🌸 Sep	14.7	8.6	5.38	8.86
🌸 Oct	15.88	9.63	6.48	10.09
🌸 Nov	17.36	11.23	3.99	10.68
☀️ Dec	19.55	13.74	4.68	10.33

Living in Ōtaki

Is Ōtaki a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Ōtaki

Schools in zone for Ōtaki

Otaki College

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Otaki School

Waitohu School

Te Kura ā Iwi o Whakatupuranga Rua Mano

TKKM o Te Rito

St Peter Chanel School (Otaki)

Explore Ōtaki

🎯Things to do(12)

Nga Purapura

Otaki Domain

Pasadena Ranch

Otaki Bowling Club

GKR Karate

H.E.A.R.T.S. Charitable Trust

Haruatai Park

Body and Soul Fitness

Ōtaki Racecourse

Otaki Sports Club

Otaki Memorial Park, Otaki

Otaki RSA Darts Club

🌳Parks & green spaces(4)

Otaki Domain

Pasadena Ranch

Haruatai Park

Otaki Memorial Park, Otaki

🏥Healthcare

Eat & Drink in Ōtaki

🍽️Places to eat & drink(36)

Curry Town

Cafe Sixty Six

RiverStone Café

Cafe Lane

Sunlong Restaurant & Fast Food

kiss and bake up

WILD BEAN CAFE

Cakelandia

Poppies family restaurant

Sunlong Restaurant and Fast Food

Gorge Cafe

The Nest Chinese Takeaways

La Casa Romana

Otaki Seafoods

Subway

Kapiti Artisan Bakehouse

Town and Country Food

Kapiti Fisheries

Hi mate

Dice otaki

Abelso Cuisine

Arigato Mum's Sushi

RiverStone Cafe

Apple Quarters Cafe

The Foodhouse and Cafe

Carnation cafe

The Blackhood Bakes

Reds Cafe

Antonio's

Kapiti Candy Co

The Daily Coffee Co

Streetwise Coffee Otaki

Omeo Technology

Main Street Bakery Company

Domino's Pizza Otaki

Pizza Land

Tradies & Services in Ōtaki

🔧Tradies & services(30)

AbleĀhei Property Maintenance LTD

Things to do(12)

Parks & green spaces(4)

Healthcare

Places to eat & drink(36)

Tradies & services(30)

Shops(38)