Rongotai is a suburb of Wellington on the isthmus southeast of the city centre, between Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay and the Miramar Peninsula. It is about 6 km from the central city.

Is Wellington Airport in Rongotai?

Yes. Wellington Airport sits in Rongotai and occupies the entire eastern half of the suburb. The airport opened in 1959 on partly reclaimed land and was once known as Rongotai Aerodrome.

How do I get from central Wellington to Rongotai?

By car it is about 15 minutes through the Mount Victoria Tunnel and Kilbirnie. Frequent Metlink buses run from the city to Rongotai, Kilbirnie and the airport throughout the day.

What is Rongotai College?

Rongotai College is a state secondary school for boys in Years 9 to 13, founded in 1928. It sits on the Rongotai isthmus and draws students from across Wellington's eastern suburbs.

Where is the Bunnings in Rongotai?

The large Bunnings Warehouse is on Kingsford Smith Street in Rongotai, near Lyall Bay. The street is the area's main big-box retail strip, serving Kilbirnie and the eastern suburbs.

Which schools are in zone for Rongotai?

Children living in Rongotai are in zone for St Oran's College, Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre, Wellington East Girls' College, Evans Bay Intermediate, Hutt International Boys' School. Living in a school's home zone gives a guaranteed right to enrol.

How do I check my school zone in Rongotai?

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.

Rongotai, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Rongotai

Rongotai is a Wellington suburb on the low isthmus southeast of the city centre, wedged between Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay and the Miramar Peninsula. For most people it means one thing: Wellington Airport, whose single runway and terminals took over the entire eastern half of the suburb after opening in 1959, on land partly reclaimed from the sea.

The ground itself has a strange history. Until a few centuries ago the isthmus was a shallow channel and Miramar was an island; a series of earthquakes, the last in 1855, lifted the land clear of the water for good. Today it is flat, busy and given over more to runways, retail and sport than to housing, though a pocket of homes remains on the Kilbirnie side.

Rongotai College, a boys' secondary school founded in 1928, sits on the isthmus and draws students from across the eastern suburbs. The large-format stores along Kingsford Smith Street, including a Bunnings, serve the wider area, and the beach and cafes of Lyall Bay are a short walk south. Kilbirnie's pool, shops and sports centre are all within easy reach.

It is less a place to live than a place the whole city passes through, usually with luggage.

Is Rongotai a good place to live?

Rongotai is home to roughly 2,088 people across 22.0 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Rongotai scores 60 out of 100, with a safety score of 44/100 and 24% green space.

Schools: Rongotai has 38 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 $877K, and weekly rent typically sits around $480.

Lifestyle: Rongotai has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 9.5°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Rongotai 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

Safety44
Amenities100
Schools82
Housing Affordability43
Green space79
Community10
Transport20

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $877K
Median Weekly Rent: $480/wk
Median HH Income: $101K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): -3.1%
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 Wellington City →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Rongotai?: Rongotai is a suburb of Wellington on the isthmus southeast of the city centre, between Kilbirnie, Lyall Bay and the Miramar Peninsula. It is about 6 km from the central city.
Is Wellington Airport in Rongotai?: Yes. Wellington Airport sits in Rongotai and occupies the entire eastern half of the suburb. The airport opened in 1959 on partly reclaimed land and was once known as Rongotai Aerodrome.
How do I get from central Wellington to Rongotai?: By car it is about 15 minutes through the Mount Victoria Tunnel and Kilbirnie. Frequent Metlink buses run from the city to Rongotai, Kilbirnie and the airport throughout the day.
What is Rongotai College?: Rongotai College is a state secondary school for boys in Years 9 to 13, founded in 1928. It sits on the Rongotai isthmus and draws students from across Wellington's eastern suburbs.
Where is the Bunnings in Rongotai?: The large Bunnings Warehouse is on Kingsford Smith Street in Rongotai, near Lyall Bay. The street is the area's main big-box retail strip, serving Kilbirnie and the eastern suburbs.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Rongotai

Schools in zone for Rongotai

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

St Oran's College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 504 · decile 10
Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1639 · decile 9
Wellington East Girls' College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1014 · decile 8
Evans Bay Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 337 · decile 7
Hutt International Boys' School
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 653 · decile 10

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Enter your address to check your school zone in Rongotai. 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 Rongotai that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

Rongotai College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 719 · decile 4 · 0.6 km away
Lyall Bay School
Contributing · roll 275 · decile 7 · 1.0 km away
Scots College
Composite · roll 1171 · decile 10 · 1.1 km away
St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 208 · decile 6 · 1.4 km away
Kahurangi School
Full Primary · roll 259 · decile 3 · 1.4 km away
St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)
Full Primary · roll 128 · decile 5 · 1.4 km away
St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 725 · decile 8 · 1.6 km away
Holy Cross School (Miramar)
Full Primary · roll 175 · decile 5 · 1.6 km away
Houghton Valley School
Contributing · roll 201 · decile 7 · 1.7 km away
Miramar Central School
Contributing · roll 165 · decile 5 · 1.8 km away
St Anthony's School (Seatoun)
Full Primary · roll 37 · decile 8 · 2.1 km away
Kilbirnie School
Contributing · roll 204 · decile 10 · 2.2 km away
TKKM o Nga Mokopuna
Composite · roll 175 · decile 8 · 2.3 km away
South Wellington Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 335 · decile 5 · 2.3 km away
Worser Bay School
Contributing · roll 109 · decile 9 · 2.4 km away
St Annes School (Newtown)
Full Primary · roll 215 · decile 5 · 2.6 km away
Berhampore School
Contributing · roll 264 · decile 3 · 2.7 km away
Island Bay School
Contributing · roll 324 · decile 10 · 2.7 km away
Newtown School
Contributing · roll 310 · decile 4 · 2.7 km away
Seatoun School
Full Primary · roll 367 · decile 9 · 2.7 km away
St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)
Full Primary · roll 196 · decile 10 · 2.8 km away
Miramar North School
Contributing · roll 227 · decile 7 · 3.0 km away
Wellington College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1941 · decile 10 · 3.2 km away
Hataitai School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 10 · 3.2 km away
St Mark's Church School (Mt Victoria)
Full Primary · roll 136 · decile 10 · 3.4 km away
Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School
Full Primary · roll 214 · decile 9 · 3.6 km away
Clyde Quay School
Full Primary · roll 213 · decile 10 · 3.8 km away
Mt Cook School (Wellington)
Full Primary · roll 287 · decile 6 · 3.9 km away
Brooklyn School (Wellington)
Full Primary · roll 368 · decile 8 · 4.0 km away
Owhiro Bay School
Contributing · roll 82 · decile 9 · 4.0 km away
Central Regional Health School
Specialist School · roll 23 · 4.3 km away
Roseneath School
Full Primary · roll 73 · decile 9 · 4.3 km away
Te Aro School
Full Primary · roll 210 · decile 4 · 4.8 km away

Explore Rongotai

Things to do(11)

Loúka CrossFit

Mane Fitness

Simplicity Fitness

Real Aotearoa

Hoi

CityFitness

Pete Lamb Fishing Ltd

Pilates Synergy

Bonobo

Casa Yoga

Louka CrossFit

Parks & green spaces

Parks and reserves for this area haven’t been catalogued yet.

Healthcare(1)

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20.37	15.37	1.73	11.39
☀️ Feb	19.91	15.5	2.25	10.85
🍂 Mar	18.08	13.42	1.69	10.1
🍂 Apr	16.88	12.53	4.03	7.91
🍂 May	14.84	10.81	3.52	6.98
❄️ Jun	13.48	9.47	2.74	6.58
❄️ Jul	12.38	8.44	2.69	6.23
❄️ Aug	12.03	8.24	2.63	7.74
🌸 Sep	13.98	9.99	2.88	8.65
🌸 Oct	14.9	10.56	2.72	10.05
🌸 Nov	16.24	11.96	1.67	10.67
☀️ Dec	18.37	14	2.47	10.94

Living in Rongotai

Is Rongotai a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Rongotai

Schools in zone for Rongotai

St Oran's College

Wellington High School and Com Ed Centre

Wellington East Girls' College

Evans Bay Intermediate

Hutt International Boys' School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

Rongotai College

Lyall Bay School

Scots College

St Catherines College (Kilbirnie)

Kahurangi School

St Patrick's School (Kilbirnie)

St Patrick's College (Kilbirnie)

Holy Cross School (Miramar)

Houghton Valley School

Miramar Central School

St Anthony's School (Seatoun)

Kilbirnie School

TKKM o Nga Mokopuna

South Wellington Intermediate

Worser Bay School

St Annes School (Newtown)

Berhampore School

Island Bay School

Newtown School

Seatoun School

St Francis De Sales School (Is Bay)

Miramar North School

Wellington College

Hataitai School

St Mark's Church School (Mt Victoria)

Te Kura o Tawatawa - Ridgway School

Clyde Quay School

Mt Cook School (Wellington)

Brooklyn School (Wellington)

Owhiro Bay School

Central Regional Health School

Roseneath School

Te Aro School

Explore Rongotai

🎯Things to do(11)

Loúka CrossFit

Mane Fitness

Simplicity Fitness

Real Aotearoa

Hoi

CityFitness

Pete Lamb Fishing Ltd

Pilates Synergy

Bonobo

Casa Yoga

Louka CrossFit

🌳Parks & green spaces

🏥Healthcare(1)

Bargain Chemist

Eat & Drink in Rongotai

🍽️Places to eat & drink(32)

Centennial Coffee House

Mint Cafe

Mojo

Fresh Bites

Bean Hive

Orb Coffee

Best Ugly Bagels

Parrotdog Bar

Fortune Favours

United Brew Works

Three Quarter Society

Things to do(11)

Parks & green spaces

Healthcare(1)

Places to eat & drink(32)

Tradies & services(6)

Shops(24)

Beauty & fitness(13)