Miramar, Wellington: A Local's Guide

Miramar sits on the peninsula east of Mount Victoria, connected to the rest of Wellington City by the Mt Victoria Tunnel and Evans Bay. Most international visitors see Miramar before anywhere else in the country, because Wellington International Airport is here. What they do not always realise is that the same suburb holds Peter Jackson's film empire, three excellent bay beaches, a coastal loop walk and one of the best independent cinemas in Australasia. For a lot of locals, Miramar is the sleeper hit of the Wellington suburbs.

The Vibe

Miramar is quiet, mostly flat, a little bit suburban and a little bit movie-set. The central village around Park Road and Miramar Avenue has cafes, a greengrocer, an excellent bookshop and the Roxy Cinema at its heart. A few blocks away you will find Weta sets being built behind industrial roller doors. A few blocks further and you are on a beach.

Because it is out on the peninsula, Miramar has a genuinely different microclimate from the CBD. It tends to be sunnier, sometimes less windy and almost always warmer in summer. Planes coming in to land sweep low over the bays, which is either charming or maddening depending on your relationship with jet noise.

A Quick History

Miramar was originally an island called Motu-Kairangi, separated from the rest of Wellington by a shallow tidal lagoon. The 1855 Wairarapa earthquake lifted the land by around two metres, draining the lagoon and turning the island into a peninsula almost overnight. You can still see the old shoreline in the flat grid of streets around Rongotai, which would have been underwater before 1855.

The suburb grew through the early twentieth century as a middle-class residential area, then reinvented itself in the 1990s and 2000s as New Zealand's film production capital. Peter Jackson set up Weta Workshop and Weta Digital here, and with them came Stone Street Studios, Park Road Post and a cluster of supporting businesses that have handled everything from Lord of the Rings to Avatar.

The Film Quarter

The headline attraction for visitors is the Weta Workshop Experience on Weka Street. Guided tours take you behind the scenes of the workshop, showing you the weapons, armour, creatures and prosthetics from Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, District 9, Avatar and more. A separate Miniature Stage experience dives into practical effects. Book ahead in peak season.

Around the corner, the Roxy Cinema on Park Road is an art-deco beauty owned and restored by a collective that includes several Weta directors. It screens first-run films alongside indie, festival and repertory picks, has a proper bar and restaurant (Coco at the Roxy) and is the kind of cinema where the popcorn is worth eating. A double feature here paired with dinner is one of the best nights out in the city.

For fans, a wander around the block hits Stone Street Studios (from the outside, it is an unassuming warehouse), Park Road Post (where some of the world's biggest films have been finished) and a couple of sound stages that are still active today.

Bays & Things to Do

The Miramar Peninsula coastal loop is the hidden gem. Drive, cycle or walk around the edge of the peninsula and you string together three of the best swimming beaches in the city. Scorching Bay, facing north across the harbour, is sheltered and sandy and has one of the best swim platforms in the country, with ropes and diving blocks. Worser Bay is quieter and family-friendly, with its own sailing club. Karaka Bay is small, rocky, atmospheric and the site of an early Treaty of Waitangi signing in 1840.

At the tip of the peninsula, the Massey Memorial at Point Halswell marks the tomb of William Massey, New Zealand's prime minister from 1912 to 1925. The short walk up gives you views across the harbour entrance, over to the South Island on a clear day.

Shelly Bay, on the western side of the peninsula, is a slightly offbeat spot with the long-running Chocolate Fish Cafe and a jetty that has hosted countless film industry parties. The old naval base buildings behind it are the subject of ongoing development debate, but the bay itself is still a lovely stop.

For more walks, swims and ideas, our things to do in Wellington page has the full list.

Food & Drink

Park Road is the main food strip. Park Road Post Cafe (yes, attached to the post production facility) does solid all-day food, Scorch-O-Rama at Scorching Bay is a summer classic for beachside brunch and Coco at the Roxy is one of the best pre-movie dinners in the city. Maranui's Miramar sibling has also kept a loyal local following.

For a beer, the Miramar Tavern is a classic suburban pub. Fans of craft beer should check whether the rotating brewery Garage Project pop-ups are running again at Shelly Bay. For wider city picks see Wellington restaurants, Wellington cafes and Wellington bars.

Living in Miramar

Miramar housing is mostly 1920s to 1960s weatherboard family homes, with pockets of newer townhouses around the shops and some genuinely impressive hillside modernist houses with harbour views. Prices are lower than the inner suburbs, which is part of why the suburb has quietly attracted film industry staff, young families and commuters happy to trade a twenty-minute drive for a bigger backyard.

Metlink bus route 2 runs between Karori and Seatoun via Miramar, and the airport shuttle is obviously quick. Driving into the CBD is a fifteen to twenty-five minute run through the Mt Victoria Tunnel, depending on traffic. Schools in zone include Miramar Central, Worser Bay School and Rongotai College.

The one thing to be aware of before you buy is the flight path. Depending where you are on the peninsula, the planes can be a minor hum or a conversation-stopper, so visit at different times of day before committing. Wellington Airport publishes flight schedules if you want to check.

One Last Thing

Miramar is the Wellington suburb that does a bit of everything: film industry hub, village shops, three beaches, an airport, a couple of surprise viewpoints and some of the best pre-cinema eats in town. Go for a Weta tour, stay for a sunset swim, come back for a Roxy double feature. Before you head out, check the Wellington weather and the Wellington events calendar.

Know a Miramar spot we have missed? Flick it to us at [email protected] and we will add it to the next update. Steve and Kirstie, WellyBuzz.