{{Short description|Suburb of Porirua}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2017}} {{Use New Zealand English|date=June 2023}} {{Infobox New Zealand suburb | name = Pukerua Bay | image = Pukerua Bay.jpg | caption1 = Pukerua Bay, looking west | city1 = [[Porirua]] | council = [[Porirua City Council]] | ward = {{ubl|Pāuatahanui General Ward|Porirua Māori Ward}} | established = | coordinates = {{coord|41|02|S|174|53|E|region:NZ_type:city|display=it}} | area = 817 | population = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Pukerua Bay|y}} | popdate = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y}} | popsource = {{NZ population data 2023 SA2||||y}} | population_density_km2 = auto | trainstations = {{ubl|[[Pukerua Bay railway station]]|([[Muri railway station]] closed in 2011)}} | ferryterminals = | airports = | hospitals = | mapframe = y | mapframe-zoom = 10 | caption2 = }} {{Adjacent place | centre = Pukerua Bay | north = [[Kapiti Island]] | northeast = [[Paekākāriki]] | east = [[Paekākāriki Hill]] | southeast = | south = [[Plimmerton]] | southwest = | west = [[Cook Strait]] | northwest = [[Tasman Sea]] }}

'''Pukerua Bay''' is a small seaside suburb at the southern end of the [[Kāpiti Coast]], [[New Zealand]]. In local government terms it is the northernmost suburb of [[Porirua]] City, in the [[Wellington Region]]. It is 12&nbsp;km north of the Porirua City Centre on [[State Highway 59 (New Zealand)|State Highway 59]], and 30&nbsp;km north of central [[Wellington]]. In [[Māori language|Māori]], the words ''puke rua'' literally mean ''two hills'' but it is not clear to which hills the name refers.<ref name="1000-placenames">{{Cite web |url= https://nzhistory.govt.nz/culture/maori-language-week/1000-maori-place-names |title=Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori / Māori Language Week, Page 5: 1000 Māori place names |website=New Zealand History Online |publisher=[[Ministry for Culture and Heritage]] |publication-place=New Zealand |date=6 August 2019 |access-date=14 May 2024 }}</ref>

==Geography== [[File:Pou whenua at Pukerua Bay in the morning.jpg|thumb|[[Pouwhenua|Pou whenua]]]] The majority of Pukerua Bay is situated in a saddle between hills, about 60-90m above sea level, offering sea views (and views of [[Kapiti Island]] and occasionally Mounts [[Mount Taranaki|Taranaki]] and [[Mount Ruapehu|Ruapehu]] to the north) from many houses. The Kaikoura range on the South Island including Mt [[Tapuae-o-Uenuku]] can be seen from some places at the southern end of the township. The coast around Pukerua Bay is fairly steep, with only a few houses nestled in a row behind the two sandy beach areas. The surrounding hills are mainly farm land used for sheep and cattle grazing, providing a rural backdrop to the east and west. The area to the south, along {{NZSH|59}}, turns into [[Taupō Swamp]] towards Plimmerton.

Pukerua Bay's main residential areas are along Rawhiti Road, west of SH 59, the central clifftop, Sea Vista Drive east of SH 59 and the beach frontage extending east (Brendan Beach) and west of Beach Road. There is a pedestrian bridge over SH 59 near Wairaka Road's Kindergarten and pre-school and the school's back entrance (the main entrance is on Rawhiti Road).

There are two walks between Pukerua Bay and [[Plimmerton]] (5&nbsp;km south), one around the rocky coast, and one inland (part of a longer cycleway) parallel to the railway. The inland route is pre-European – it was traditionally known as ''te taua tapu'' (the sacred war-party). The cycleway is known as Te Ara Harakeke (the flax road).<ref name="te-araroa-wellington">{{Cite web |url= https://www.teararoa.org.nz/the-trail/wellington/wellington-trail-notes/ |title=Wellington trail notes |website=Te Araroa - New Zealand's Trail |publisher=Te Araroa Trust |access-date=14 May 2024 }}</ref> The coastal route goes past Marble Arch (Te-ana-Puta-o-Hau) to Wairaka Rock on an uninhabited part of Pukerua Bay, was the only mainland home of [[Whitaker's skink]] (''Oligosoma whitakeri''), an icon of the bay. According to legend, the rock is the petrified wife of culture hero Haunui-a-Nanaia, who pursued her from [[Māhia Peninsula]], naming places on the way including [[Manawatū-Whanganui|Manawatū]], [[Ohau River, Wellington|Ōhau]] and [[Turakina, New Zealand|Turakina]]. [[File:Centennial_Highway_and_Pukerua_Bay_2015_(19191609284).jpg|thumb|Centennial Highway and Pukerua Bay in 2015]] The [[Escarpment Track|escarpment track]] between Pukerua Bay and Paekākāriki is exposed and prone to slips from significant rain events affecting SH 59 north of Pukerua Bay. The coastal road was closed three times within a year in 2022.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Post (New Zealand newspaper)|The Dominion Post]] |via=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/300479696/sh59-north-of-wellington-opens-but-delays-expected-as-congestion-clears |title=SH59 north of Wellington opens, but delays expected as congestion clears |author=Wellington reporters |date=16 December 2021 |access-date=3 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Post (New Zealand newspaper)|The Dominion Post]] |via=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/wellington/128926384/when-wild-weather-rages-pukerua-bay-is-stuck-between-the-slips-and-the-sea |title=When wild weather rages, Pukerua Bay is stuck between the slips and the sea |first=Bill |last=Hickman |date=10 June 2022 |accessdate=3 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Post (New Zealand newspaper)|The Dominion Post]] |via=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/128938117/slowmoving-but-intense-weather-system-causes-trouble-for-wellington |title=Slow-moving but intense weather system causes trouble for Wellington |first=Erin |last=Gourley |date=12 June 2022 |accessdate=3 September 2022}}</ref>

The waters around Pukerua Bay, from a point north halfway to Paekākāriki to Wairaka Point south of Pukerua Bay, are currently protected by a ''[[rāhui]]''.<ref>{{cite news |publisher=[[Radio New Zealand]] |url= https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/129596/iwi-wants-pukerua-bay-fishing-ban-to-continue |title=Iwi wants Pukerua Bay fishing ban to continue |date=4 March 2013 |accessdate=21 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/21760-Pukerua-Bay-Closure-DL-brochure |title=Pukerua Bay Closure |format=PDF |access-date=21 December 2022 |publisher=Ministry for Primary Industries |publication-place=New Zealand }}</ref>

==History== {{More citations needed section|date=June 2024}} [[File:Pukerua Bay beachfront 1920.jpg|thumb|Pukerua Bay beachfront, 11 February 1920, by [[Leslie Adkin]].]] The earliest people known to have lived in the area around Pukerua Bay were the Ngāti Ira [[Māori people|Māori]] tribe and later the Muaūpoko, who built Waimapihi [[Pā]] near today's seaward end of Rawhiti Road. Pukerua Bay was on the main route for Māori travellers going north or south. About 1822, it was invaded from [[Kapiti Island]] by [[Te Rauparaha]] and his [[Ngāti Toa]] people. According to oral tradition, the Muaūpoko people fled up the gorge of the Waimapihi stream (on the Ohariu Fault line), abandoning their treasures on the way.

The land blocks originally surveyed (Wairaka in the west, Waimapihi and Pukerua in the east) were sold to settlers from Europe for farming in the late 19th century. Charles Gray was the first landowner to subdivide and sell residential sections in Pukerua Bay, in the early 20th century.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Charles Gray |url=https://www.hearapukeruabay.nz/people/charles-gray/charles-gray/ |access-date=2025-12-15 |website=He Ara Pukerua Bay |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

Pukerua Bay's development history is curious because the railway went through it (1886) for years before there was good road access (1940), so it grew at first on the waterfront as a weekend destination. The original railway station was named "Pukerua" until it was changed briefly to Waimapihi in the 1920s and then to "Pukerua ''Bay''" to avoid confusion with "Pukerau" in the [[South Island]].

By the end of the 1920s, Pukerua Bay numbered 100 houses, a small school on land donated by Charles Gray, and a few small stores. Electricity was put through from Plimmerton to Pukerua Bay in 1927 and in 1928 the track between Plimmerton and Pukerua Bay was formed into a narrow road. The beach remained the main attraction for weekend visitors from Wellington (by steam train) as there was still no road bridge at [[Paremata]] until 1935 and no highway until the [[Centennial Highway]] was completed in 1940.

Most of the clifftop development dates from after [[World War II]] and Pukerua Bay has its own branch of the [[Returned Services Association]]. Pukerua Bay experienced significant growth in the 1950s and 1960s, being connected to Wellington via the [[Kāpiti Line]] (which was double-tracked to Pukerua Bay and electrified to Paekakariki in 1940) and accessible from north and south via [[State Highway 1 (New Zealand)|State Highway 1]] (which ran through Pukerua Bay at the time). In 1973, Pukerua Bay joined Porirua City Council to get the issues of water and sewerage connection addressed.

Growth continued in the 1970s with the Sea Vista Drive subdivision and soon the fact that the SH 1 route, with increasing traffic, was going through the middle of Pukerua Bay became an issue. In 1989, an over-bridge over the SH 1 route was opened, after continued lobbying by local residents, which included continually walking across the pedestrian crossing to hold up traffic.

The SH 1 route through Pukerua Bay was renumbered {{NZSH|59}} on 7 December 2021, due to SH 1 being shifted to the [[Transmission Gully Motorway]].<ref name="State Highway 59 switch confirmed for December">{{cite press release |url= https://www.nzta.govt.nz/media-releases/state-highway-59-switch-confirmed-for-december/ |title= State Highway 59 switch confirmed for December |publisher=New Zealand Transport Agency |date=18 November 2021 |access-date=18 November 2021}}</ref>

==Demographics== The Pukerua Bay statistical area covers {{Convert|8.17|km2||abbr=on}}.<ref name="Area">{{Cite web|title=Stats NZ Geographic Data Service|url=https://datafinder.stats.govt.nz/data/|at=Statistical Area 2 2023 (generalised)|access-date=19 January 2026}}</ref> It had an estimated population of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Pukerua Bay|y}} as of {{NZ population data 2023 SA2|||y|||,}} with a population density of {{Decimals|{{formatnum:{{NZ population data 2023 SA2|Pukerua Bay|y}}|R}}/8.17|0}} people per km<sup>2</sup>.

{{Historical populations|2006|1,725|2013|1,896|2018|1,962|2023|1,965|percentages=pagr|align=left|source=<ref name="Census 2023"/><ref name="Census 2018">{{NZ census 2018|Pukerua Bay (238800)|pukerua-bay|Pukerua Bay}}</ref>}} Pukerua Bay had a population of 1,965 in the [[2023 New Zealand census]], an increase of 3 people (0.2%) since the [[2018 New Zealand census|2018 census]], and an increase of 69 people (3.6%) since the [[2013 New Zealand census|2013 census]]. There were 948 males, 1,002 females, and 15 people of [[non-binary gender|other genders]] in 717 dwellings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_005&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=doTotal%2Bdo1.238800.2023&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_DWD_003|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for dwellings, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses}}</ref> 4.1% of people identified as [[LGBTQ|LGBTIQ+]]. The median age was 41.0 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 426 people (21.7%) aged under 15 years, 261 (13.3%) aged 15 to 29, 984 (50.1%) aged 30 to 64, and 291 (14.8%) aged 65 or older.<ref name="Census 2023"/>

People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 90.4% [[European New Zealanders|European]] ([[Pākehā]]); 15.0% [[Māori people|Māori]]; 4.0% [[Pasifika New Zealanders|Pasifika]]; 3.4% [[Asian New Zealanders|Asian]]; 1.4% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 1.8% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.9%, Māori by 4.0%, Samoan by 0.8%, and other languages by 10.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.4% (e.g. too young to talk). [[New Zealand Sign Language]] was known by 0.2%. The percentage of people born overseas was 21.8, compared with 28.8% nationally.<ref name="Census 2023"/>

Religious affiliations were 26.0% [[Christianity in New Zealand|Christian]], 0.5% [[Hinduism in New Zealand|Hindu]], 0.2% [[Islam in New Zealand|Islam]], 0.8% [[Māori religious beliefs]], 0.6% [[Buddhism in New Zealand|Buddhist]], 0.9% [[New Age]], 0.2% [[Judaism in New Zealand|Jewish]], and 1.1% other religions. People who answered that they had [[Irreligion in New Zealand|no religion]] were 64.4%, and 5.6% of people did not answer the census question.<ref name="Census 2023"/>

Of those at least 15 years old, 615 (40.0%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 753 (48.9%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 171 (11.1%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $57,700, compared with $41,500 nationally. 366 people (23.8%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 867 (56.3%) full-time, 255 (16.6%) part-time, and 39 (2.5%) unemployed.<ref name="Census 2023">{{Cite web|url=https://explore.data.stats.govt.nz/vis?fs[0]=2023%20Census%2C0%7CTotals%20by%20topic%23CAT_TOTALS_BY_TOPIC%23&pg=0&fc=Variable%20codes&bp=true&snb=9&df[ds]=ds-nsiws-disseminate&df[id]=CEN23_TBT_008&df[ag]=STATSNZ&df[vs]=1.0&dq=hq011%2Bhq010%2Bhq009%2Bhq008%2Bhq007%2Bhq006%2Bhq005%2Bhq004%2Bhq003%2Bhq002%2Bhq001%2Bhq000%2Bws1%2Bsp99%2Bra80%2Bra08%2Bra07%2Bra06%2Bra05%2Bra01%2Bra04%2Bra03%2Bra02%2Bra00%2Brb1%2Bls66%2Bls03%2Bls02%2Bls05%2Bls04%2Bls01%2Beg6%2Beg5%2Beg4%2Beg3%2Beg2%2Beg1%2BbiTotal%2Bbi0%2Bbi1%2BasTotalLG%2Bas4%2Bas3%2Bas2%2Bas1%2Bws4%2Bws3%2Bws2%2Bge3%2Bge2%2Bge1%2Brc%2BasMed%2BegTotal%2BlsTotal%2BgeTotal%2BrbTotal%2BraTotal%2BhqTotal%2BibTotal%2Bib7%2Bibmed%2BwsTotal.238800.2013%2B2018%2B2023&to[TIME]=false&ly[rw]=CEN23_TBT_IND_003&ly[cl]=CEN23_YEAR_001|publisher=Stats NZ – Tatauranga Aotearoa – Aotearoa Data Explorer|access-date=3 October 2024|title=Totals by topic for individuals, (RC, TALB, UR, SA3, SA2, Ward, Health), 2013, 2018, and 2023 Censuses|at=Pukerua Bay (238800)}}</ref>

==Features== [[File:Paekakariki Escarpment Track Swing Bridge (31034011486).jpg|thumb|Swing bridge on the Escarpment Track]] Pukerua Bay has a branch of Porirua Library, a Returned Servicemen's Association, tennis club, scout hall, sports field, and several nature reserves and trails. Retail facilities include a convenience store, hairdresser and second-hand bookstore. There is one railway station, [[Pukerua Bay railway station]], on the [[North Island Main Trunk]] railway, with [[Kāpiti Line|suburban services]] provided by [[Public transport in Wellington|Metlink]]. The train journey to Wellington takes about 35 minutes, to [[Paraparaumu]] 20 minutes. A second station, [[Muri railway station]], 1.2&nbsp;km by road north of Pukerua Bay station, was closed on 30 April 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.pcc.govt.nz/Community/Community-Projects/Village-Planning-Programme/Pukerua-Bay/Earlier-Pukerua-Bay-Village-Plan-projects#skatepark |title=Pukerua Bay skate park rebuild |publisher=[[Porirua City Council]] |accessdate=10 March 2009 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130209152907/http://www.pcc.govt.nz/Community/Community-Projects/Village-Planning-Programme/Pukerua-Bay/Earlier-Pukerua-Bay-Village-Plan-projects |archive-date=9 February 2013 }}</ref>

Pukerua Bay's [[skatepark]] was rebuilt in 2009 in a collaborative venture between the Porirua City Council, the Residents Association, and PKBSK8 Inc. Funding was also provided by the Caversham Foundation and the Mana Community Grants Foundation. The park is adjacent to the Pukerua Bay railway station, and replaces an old asphalt bowl which the City Council claims was the only purpose-built skatepark in the Southern Hemisphere when it opened in 1976.

A popular 10-kilometre walkway, the [[Escarpment Track]], constructed as part of the national [[Te Araroa|Te Araroa Trail]], links Pukerua Bay with [[Paekākāriki]]. The walk features views to [[Kapiti Island]].

==Education== [[File:Pukerua Bay School.jpg|thumb|Pukerua Bay School entrance ]] Pukerua Bay School is a co-educational state primary school for Year 1 to 8 students,<ref name="official2967">{{cite web |title=Welcome to Pukerua Bay School |url= https://pukeruabay.school.nz |publisher=Pukerua Bay School |access-date=14 May 2024 }}</ref><ref name="ero2967">{{cite web |title=Pukerua Bay School |url= https://ero.govt.nz/institution/2967/pukerua-bay-school |access-date=14 May 2024 |publisher=[[Education Review Office (New Zealand)|Education Review Office]] |publication-place=New Zealand}}</ref> with a roll of {{NZ school roll data|2967|y}} as of {{NZ school roll data|||y|}}.<ref name="moe2967">{{cite web |title=Pukerua Bay School: Profile and Contact Details |url= https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/find-school/school/profile?school=2967 |website=Education Counts |publisher=[[Ministry of Education (New Zealand)|Ministry of Education]] |publication-place=New Zealand }}</ref> It opened in 1927.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hearapukeruabay.nz/community/pukerua-bay-school/|title=Pukerua Bay School|publisher=He Ara Pukerua|access-date=19 January 2026}}</ref>

Following primary education, most students go to either [[Aotea College]], [[Mana College]], or [[Kāpiti College]] for their secondary school education. Pukerua Bay also has a [[kindergarten]].

==Notable residents== {{Main category|People from Pukerua Bay}} Prominent residents are filmmaker Dame [[Jane Campion]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duff |first=Michelle |title=Dame Jane Campion has always been fearless |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/300729882/dame-jane-campion-has-always-been-fearless |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=www.stuff.co.nz}}</ref> artist [[Pauline Morse]], authors [[Gillian Candler]] and [[Gay Hay]].

Former prominent residents include poets Louis Johnston, [[Sam Hunt (poet)|Sam Hunt]], [[James K. Baxter]], [[Denis Glover]], [[Meg Campbell]], [[Alistair Campbell (poet)|Alistair Campbell]], composer [[Jenny McLeod]], film editor [[John Gilbert (film editor)|John Gilbert]], actress [[Davina Whitehouse]], artist [[Robin Kay]] and former CEO of [[Meridian Energy]] Dr [[Keith Turner (businessman)|Keith Turner]]. Pukerua Bay is also the birthplace and childhood home of film director Sir [[Sir Peter Jackson|Peter Jackson]], whose first feature film, ''[[Bad Taste]]'', was filmed there. He later went on to direct the ''[[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|Lord of the Rings]]'' film trilogy and its prequel ''[[The Hobbit (film series)|The Hobbit]]'' trilogy.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/business/property/6004095/Suburb-spotlight-Pukerua-Bay |title=Suburb spotlight: Pukerua Bay |newspaper=[[The Post (New Zealand newspaper)|The Dominion Post]] |via=[[Stuff (website)|Stuff]] |date=21 November 2011 |access-date=14 May 2024}}</ref> [[Karl Kippenberger]], bass player of rock group [[Shihad]] also grew up in Pukerua Bay.<ref>{{Cite news |date=3 August 2021 |title=Shihad about to release their 10th studio album |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018806648/shihad-about-to-release-their-10th-studio-album |access-date=23 March 2025 |work=[[RNZ]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Meg and Alistair Campbell |url=https://www.hearapukeruabay.nz/people/meg-and-alistair-campbell/ |access-date=2025-12-15 |website=He Ara Pukerua Bay |language=en-NZ}}</ref>

==Notes== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.pukeruabay.org.nz Pukerua Bay Community web site] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20120206211654/http://www2.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/web/commprofiles.nsf/htmldocs/Pukerua+Bay+Community+Profile Pukerua Bay Community Profile] from [[Statistics New Zealand|Statistics NZ]] *[http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/Gov06_08Rail-fig-Gov06_08RailP005a.html Photo of the Napier Express and Pukerua Bay c1932] {{Porirua}}

[[Category:Populated places in the Wellington Region]] [[Category:Suburbs of Porirua]] [[Category:Bays of the Wellington Region]]