Tawa is the northernmost suburb of Wellington City, about 15 km north of the CBD. It sits in a long valley between Porirua to the north and Churton Park to the south, with the Porirua Stream running through it.

How long is the train from Tawa to Wellington?

About 20 minutes on the Kapiti Line from Tawa station to Wellington railway station. Frequent services run during peak hours, with stops at Takapu Road, Redwood, Tawa, Linden and Kenepuru within the suburb.

What does the name Tawa mean?

Tawa is the te reo Maori name of a broadleaf native tree (Beilschmiedia tawa) that was once abundant in the area. Before 1959 the suburb was officially called Tawa Flat, referring to the flat valley floor.

What is Outlet City Tawa?

Outlet City is a factory outlet shopping precinct on Tawa's Main Road. It houses a range of clearance and outlet stores, plus the Sprig & Fern Tawa brewpub, with parking and food on site.

What is the Bucket Tree?

The Bucket Tree is a large macrocarpa in Tawa shaped into the topiary of an upside-down bucket. It's the suburb's unofficial mascot and a quirky local landmark on the main road.

Which schools are in zone for Tawa?

Children living in Tawa are in zone for Tawa College, St Oran's College, Tawa 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 Tawa?

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.

Tawa, Wellington | Schools, Lifestyle & Local Guide

Living in Tawa

Tawa is the northernmost suburb inside Wellington City boundaries, about 15 km north of the CBD. Named after the broadleaf native tree once prolific in the basin (the suburb was Tawa Flat until 1959). It's a long, narrow valley running north to Porirua, with the Porirua Stream, the Main Road, the railway and the motorway all running through it side by side.

Five train stations sit inside the suburb (Takapu Road, Redwood, Tawa, Linden, Kenepuru), which is unusual for a single Wellington suburb and reflects how the railway shaped the place. Trains to Wellington central take about 20 minutes from Tawa station.

Tawa College (1961) is the secondary school anchor and a strong sports and music institution. Tawa Pool, the Mervyn Kemp Library and the Tawa Community Centre cluster around the village centre. Outlet City (with factory outlets and the Sprig & Fern brewpub) is the bigger retail draw.

The suburb's most-photographed local quirk is the Bucket Tree, a macrocarpa shaped into the topiary of an upside-down bucket. Locals know it. Visitors find it bewildering. The Tawa Valley Pathway connects the whole suburb on foot or by bike.

Is Tawa a good place to live?

Tawa is home to roughly 12,654 people across 11.3 km². On Suburb's overall livability scale, Tawa scores 76 out of 100, with a safety score of 52/100 and 36% green space.

Schools: Tawa has 28 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 $809K, and weekly rent typically sits around $520.

Lifestyle: Tawa has cafés, shops and things to do nearby. Public transport stops are within easy reach. The current temperature is 10.4°C. See the Weather tab for monthly averages.

Whether Tawa 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

Safety52
Amenities100
Schools88
Housing Affordability46
Green space100
Community78
Transport100

Property & Economics

Est. Median Value: $809K
Median Weekly Rent: $520/wk
Median HH Income: $127K/yr
Pop. Growth (5yr): +0.1%
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 Tawa?: Tawa is the northernmost suburb of Wellington City, about 15 km north of the CBD. It sits in a long valley between Porirua to the north and Churton Park to the south, with the Porirua Stream running through it.
How long is the train from Tawa to Wellington?: About 20 minutes on the Kapiti Line from Tawa station to Wellington railway station. Frequent services run during peak hours, with stops at Takapu Road, Redwood, Tawa, Linden and Kenepuru within the suburb.
What does the name Tawa mean?: Tawa is the te reo Maori name of a broadleaf native tree (Beilschmiedia tawa) that was once abundant in the area. Before 1959 the suburb was officially called Tawa Flat, referring to the flat valley floor.
What is Outlet City Tawa?: Outlet City is a factory outlet shopping precinct on Tawa's Main Road. It houses a range of clearance and outlet stores, plus the Sprig & Fern Tawa brewpub, with parking and food on site.
What is the Bucket Tree?: The Bucket Tree is a large macrocarpa in Tawa shaped into the topiary of an upside-down bucket. It's the suburb's unofficial mascot and a quirky local landmark on the main road.

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Tawa

Schools in zone for Tawa

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

Tawa College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1054
St Oran's College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 504 · decile 10
Tawa Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 455
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 Tawa. 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 Tawa that you may be able to enrol at under open enrolment or by application (outside your home zone).

He Huarahi Tamariki
Teen Parent Unit · decile 3 · 0.6 km away
Linden School
Contributing · roll 108 · decile 5 · 0.6 km away
Greenacres School
Contributing · roll 151 · decile 9 · 0.7 km away
Hampton Hill School
Contributing · roll 107 · decile 7 · 0.8 km away
Tawa School
Full Primary · roll 406 · decile 6 · 1.1 km away
St Francis Xavier School (Tawa)
Contributing · roll 156 · decile 6 · 1.7 km away
Wellington S D A School
Full Primary · roll 106 · decile 2 · 1.8 km away
Redwood School (Tawa)
Contributing · roll 299 · decile 7 · 2.1 km away
Porirua Activity Centre
Activity Centre · 2.6 km away
Bishop Viard College
Secondary (Year 7-15) · roll 390 · decile 4 · 2.7 km away
Porirua East School
Contributing · roll 141 · decile 3 · 3.1 km away
Windley School
Full Primary · roll 186 · decile 1 · 3.5 km away
Glenview School (Porirua East)
Contributing · roll 83 · decile 4 · 3.6 km away
Holy Family School (Porirua)
Contributing · roll 154 · decile 1 · 3.6 km away
Cannons Creek School
Contributing · roll 127 · decile 1 · 3.9 km away
Porirua School
Contributing · roll 133 · decile 2 · 3.9 km away
Mana College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 520 · decile 2 · 4.0 km away
Brandon Intermediate
Intermediate · roll 166 · decile 1 · 4.1 km away
Mahinawa Specialist School and Resource Centre
Specialist School · roll 152 · decile 5 · 4.1 km away
Maraeroa School
Contributing · roll 150 · decile 1 · 4.3 km away
Porirua College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 602 · decile 1 · 4.4 km away
Amesbury School
Contributing · roll 248 · decile 10 · 4.6 km away
Aotea College
Secondary (Year 9-15) · roll 1375 · decile 5 · 4.8 km away
Russell School (Porirua East)
Contributing · roll 109 · decile 1 · 4.8 km away

Explore Tawa

Things to do(39)

Tawa R.F.C

Tawa Skate Park

24/7 Fitness

Kapi Mana Bridge Club

Kowhai Park

North City Cricket Club

Tawa Judo Club

Duncan Park Playground

Courage Taekwon

Tawa Tigers Wrestling Club

Linden Park

McHale Nutrition Wellness

L Dance Studio, Wellington

Willowbank Reserve and Play Area

Bigair Gymnastics

Tawa Rugby Club Inc

GKR Karate

Laserplex New Zealand

GiGi Cosmetic

Hayley Johnson Academy Of Dancing

Revolve Fitness

Forward Spring Solutions

Taylor Park

Grasslees Reserve

Tawa AFC

Twisters Tawa Gymnastics Club

Redwood Park

Bigair Gymnastics and Cheerleading

Tawa BMX Park

Tawa Squash Club

Fitness Portal Tawa

Toa Muay Thai Ngati Hine

Chipmunks Playland and Cafe

Larsen Park

Tawa Tennis Club

Crossfit 232

Lyndhurst Park

Coronation Park

Tracey Odell

Parks & green spaces(11)

Tawa Skate Park

Kowhai Park

Duncan Park Playground

Linden Park

Willowbank Reserve and Play Area

Taylor Park

Grasslees Reserve

Redwood Park

Larsen Park

Lyndhurst Park

Coronation Park

Healthcare(2)

Linden Surgery

Month	High (°C)	Low (°C)	Rainfall (mm/day)	Sunshine (hrs/day)
☀️ Jan	20.97	14.3	52.2	12.01
☀️ Feb	19.79	14.31	147.93	9.93
🍂 Mar	18.18	12.42	88.13	9.8
🍂 Apr	16.91	11.14	109.2	8.37
🍂 May	14.9	9.57	130.7	6.95
❄️ Jun	13.16	7.94	133.57	6.4
❄️ Jul	12.08	7.07	145.9	5.8
❄️ Aug	12.01	7.34	158.57	7.29
🌸 Sep	13.56	8.5	113.27	8.35
🌸 Oct	14.56	8.87	103.73	9.83
🌸 Nov	16.71	11.25	108.17	11.24
☀️ Dec	18.66	13.2	97.33	10.79

Living in Tawa

Is Tawa a good place to live?

Map

Livability Breakdown

Property & Economics

Key Financial Indicators (NZD)

Nearby Suburbs

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools & Enrolment Zones in Tawa

Schools in zone for Tawa

Tawa College

St Oran's College

Tawa Intermediate

Hutt International Boys' School

Check your school zone

School Zone Checker

Other nearby schools

He Huarahi Tamariki

Linden School

Greenacres School

Hampton Hill School

Tawa School

St Francis Xavier School (Tawa)

Wellington S D A School

Redwood School (Tawa)

Porirua Activity Centre

Bishop Viard College

Porirua East School

Windley School

Glenview School (Porirua East)

Holy Family School (Porirua)

Cannons Creek School

Porirua School

Mana College

Brandon Intermediate

Mahinawa Specialist School and Resource Centre

Maraeroa School

Porirua College

Amesbury School

Aotea College

Russell School (Porirua East)

Explore Tawa

🎯Things to do(39)

Tawa R.F.C

Tawa Skate Park

24/7 Fitness

Kapi Mana Bridge Club

Kowhai Park

North City Cricket Club

Tawa Judo Club

Duncan Park Playground

Courage Taekwon

Tawa Tigers Wrestling Club

Linden Park

McHale Nutrition Wellness

L Dance Studio, Wellington

Willowbank Reserve and Play Area

Bigair Gymnastics

Tawa Rugby Club Inc

GKR Karate

Laserplex New Zealand

GiGi Cosmetic

Hayley Johnson Academy Of Dancing

Revolve Fitness

Forward Spring Solutions

Taylor Park

Grasslees Reserve

Tawa AFC

Twisters Tawa Gymnastics Club

Redwood Park

Bigair Gymnastics and Cheerleading

Tawa BMX Park

Tawa Squash Club

Fitness Portal Tawa

Toa Muay Thai Ngati Hine

Chipmunks Playland and Cafe

Larsen Park

Tawa Tennis Club

Crossfit 232

Lyndhurst Park

Things to do(39)

Parks & green spaces(11)

Healthcare(2)

Places to eat & drink(47)

Tradies & services(33)