Lyall Bay: Wellington's Surfing Destination
Located on Wellington's south coast, between the airport runway and Te Raekaihau Point, suburban Lyall Bay is known for its expansive sandy beach. This bay is ideal for typical beach activities such as swimming, surfing and boating. Its wide shoreline and sandy terrain make it a popular spot for locals and visitors.
Surfing and Beach Activities
Despite its suburban location right next to the airport, Lyall Bay stands out as Wellington's only significant surf beach, 1.5 km long and attracting surfers from around the region. The bay is home to a Surf Life Saving Club and Maranui Surf Life Saving, with a café, providing a spot to relax and enjoy refreshments. There are also various options for learning to surf. Keep in mind that it will be very busy in good surf conditions and fine weather.
Efforts are also underway to restore the beach's once substantial dunes through the planting of dune grasses and shrubs.
How to get there
From Wellington Central, take State Highway 1 towards the airport. Just before you enter Evans Bay, turn south onto Kilbirnie Crescent. Continue onto Evans Parade, then Onepu Road, which will take you to Lyall Bay Parade, which runs along the edge of he beach and where you can find parking. Public transport is also an option. The drive is normally around 26 minutes, but it will be longer in rush hour.
Nearby, you can also explore other parts of the South Coast, such as Island Bay, Sirens Rocks and Ōwhiro Bay to the east, and Tarakena Bay and Breaker Bay on the west side of the airport, at the Wellington Harbour mouth.
