Have a family and wonder which places in Wellington are best for you?

The best places to live in Wellington for families are Miramar, Hutt Valley, Brooklyn, Tawa, and Johnsonville. These places have excellent education opportunities, relaxed lifestyles, beautiful landscapes, and plenty of family-friendly activities.

Let’s take a closer look at each one so you can find the perfect home for your family.

Miramar

What attracts many families to Miramar is that it’s a low-key neighbourhood, close to the airport and has an excellent retail mall. Moreover, Miramar has miles of sandy beaches, breathtaking landscapes, and award-winning eateries. 

For families who don’t mind living a little away from the heart of Wellington, Miramar is an excellent and reasonable choice. The people in Miramar are down-to-earth, and the town is filled with a good selection of schools, marketplaces, and things to do. 

Additionally, since the Wellington International Airport is located in Miramar, families who enjoy travelling often may like the convenience of being near the airport.

Miramar is also the central location for many film studios in Wellington. 

For example, Peter Jackson, the film director of The Lord of the Rings, is a local here, with a film studio open to the public. 

As far as housing in Miramar goes, families can rent a home in Miramar starting at 700.00 NZD per week. 

For those looking to purchase their own homes, houses in Miramar with three to four bedrooms hover around 1,140,650 NZD on average. 

Notable Schools in Miramar

Miramar Central School

Address: 38 Park Road, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 939 0684

At Miramar Central School, the staff teach the students the importance of respect, independence, and community, preparing them for adulthood success. 

Additionally, they offer students a large playground with a bike track—both popular favourites among local students.

Miramar North School 

Address: 23 Weka Street, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 388 6657

Miramar’s North School’s curriculum and the actions of its students and faculty are guided by shared values and ideals. 

Students here can explore what it means to be a creative thinker and share their ideas and innovations. They also learn to recognize the interconnectedness of the world around them.

Holy Cross School 

Address: 2-6 Athens Street, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 388 7189

Holy Cross School is a Catholic school with innovative programs that appeal to many families with students in years 1-8. 

For example, they have a unique curriculum for years 4-6, where students learn to establish good habits and standards by using teamwork in exposure to real-world scenarios.

Notable Family-Friendly Things to Do in Miramar

Go to Scorching Beach 

The Miramar Peninsula is home to one of Wellington’s most popular beaches. Whenever you need a break, relax with the sand on your toes and take advantage of the calm waters at this beach. 

A regenerating forest, a cafe, picnic spots, bathrooms, changing rooms, and playgrounds for kids all surround Scorching Beach.

Take a trip to the Weta Workshop 

Address: 21 Camperdown Road, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand

Some of the most successful films of all time were created by the Weta Workshop, including The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit films, The Avengers, King Kong, District 9, and many more. 

Families can also visit the Weta Cave, a free museum full of movie memorabilia, or take a guided tour of the Weta Workshop for an inside look at how movies are made.

Go to the movies at The Roxy

Address: 5 Park Road, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand

No matter the film playing, a trip to The Roxy is an event in and of itself. Weta Workshop and Dr Grorbort’s give families much to admire with their 1930s Art Deco-inspired set design and architecture. 

In addition to enjoying the theatre’s small-screen offerings, families may also enjoy the cafe and restaurant it houses.

Go mountain biking at the Centennial Reserve 

The Centennial Reserve, located in the middle of Miramar, is undoubtedly one of the best urban mountain biking spots in Miramar. Families can choose tracks appropriate for their skill level, from the easy grade 2 trail perfect for families to the challenging Jail Brake track. 

Hutt Valley

Hutt Valley is a beautiful region just 15 minutes from Wellington that features quaint villages, excellent dining options, and a network of trails perfect for walking or cycling. 

It is an excellent place for families looking to spend time together in the great outdoors. In Hutt Valley, families can choose from a wide variety of elementary and secondary institutions, including public, Catholic, mixed-gender, and even same-gender schools.

Furthermore, as of recently, more and more families have moved to Hutt Valley because the home values here have fallen the most in the Wellington area. They are currently below 1 million on average.

For example, families can find four-bedroom homes in the hills of the Lower Hutt neighbourhood for 670,00 to 800,000 NZD. A family home in Upper Hutt, Hutt Valley, starts at an average of 784,000 NZD.

On average, Hutt Valley rental prices for houses with three or more bedrooms start at about 720 NZD per week.

Notable Schools in Hutt Valley 

Chilton Saint James School

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Address: 124 Waterloo Road , Lower Hutt, Wellington

Phone: +64 4 566 4089

Chilton Saint James keeps classes relatively small, as this is a private all girl’s school with students from pre-K to year 12. 

The young female students who attend here are taught that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Furthermore, the balanced yet rigorous curriculum appeals to parents preparing their daughters for careers in any field anywhere in the world.

Heretaunga College

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Address: Ward Street, Upper Hutt, Wellington

Phone: +64 4 939 9370

Heretaunga College is attractive to families for its advanced curriculum, extracurricular activities, and student diversity. 

Heretaunga College invites students from all over to participate in extracurricular activities like athletics, music, drama, kapa haka, debate, and dragon boat racing. 

Additionally, Heretaunga College offers a Golf Academy and an Equestrian Programme for students interested in pursuing extracurricular activities outside of the classroom with the assistance of teachers.

Hutt Valley High School

Address: 84-114 Woburn Road , Lower Hutt, Wellington

Phone: +64 4 566 4584

Hutt Valley High School is a large, state-funded, mixed-gender institution that serves students in grades 9 through 13. 

International students worldwide rapidly feel at home at this school because of the emphasis placed on their integration. Each student has a hand-picked classmate to hang out with and study with, and the school’s international team is always there to lend a hand if needed.

Notable Family-Friendly Things to Do in Hutt Valley 

Go to Days Beach 

Address: 123 Jackson Street, Eastbourne, Lower Hutt

Days Beach, a sandy beach with bush-clad hills in the background, is a stunning destination year-round. During the summer months, locals with little ones flock here to swim and have picnics. 

Moreover, families can go on a bushwalk in the hills or rent a kayak or paddleboard to navigate the waves. 

Additionally, some of the best lunch and dinner cafes and an ice cream parlour can be found at Days Bay.

 

Take your kids to Avalon Park

Address: 61 Taita Drive, Avalon, Lower Hutt

Getting your kids to leave the playground at Avalon Park is the only drawback to taking them there. 

This playground keeps kids entertained for hours, thanks to its custom-built tunnels, slides, climbing and abseiling walls, swings, trampolines, and rope bridges.

Local parents also like how special matting has been set out on the ground to prevent injuries. 

In addition to the usual duck pond and picnic area, this playground also features a water play area, an artificial stream, and a unique structure known as the Helix.

Experience interactive art at Whirinaki Whare Taonga

Address: 836 Fergusson Drive, Upper Hutt, Wellington

Art, culture, history, and entertainment can all be found in Whirinaki Whare Taonga. Whirinaki Whare Taonga emphasises interactive experiences and family-friendly activities. 

It features a constantly changing exhibition programming that ranges from the best New Zealand and worldwide art to local arts and crafts and historical exhibitions.

Brooklyn

Located three km south of Wellington’s central business centre is the neighbourhood of Brooklyn. Working parents like living in Brooklyn because it is a quiet suburb and only a short commute from the heart of the metropolis.

The community centre, elementary schools, and parks make up Brooklyn’s amenity landscape. Furthermore, Cleveland Street features a movie theatre, library, cafes, two medical centres, two pubs, and many other establishments. 

Brooklyn also has many housing options, from Victorian homes to California bungalows. 

It costs an average of 1,117,950 NZD to purchase a three or four-bedroom home in Brooklyn. Rents for three-bedroom Brooklyn apartments start at 780 NZD per week.

Notable Schools in Brooklyn 

The Brooklyn Primary School and Community Emergency Hub

Address: 58 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, Wellington 6021, New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 389 6758

The Brooklyn Primary School utilises individualised learning plans and various student grouping strategies to tailor the advanced curriculum to each student. Local parents like that homeschool curriculum, and extra language classes are available. 

The St. Bernard’s Academy

Address: 40 Taft Street, Brooklyn, Wellington 6021, New Zealand

Phone: +64 4 389 9377

St Bernard’s is a Catholic school that fosters a family atmosphere, reasonable standards of behaviour, outstanding academic results, and close relationships between teachers and parents.

They have classes with an average of 15 students. They also offer before and after-school care on campus.

Students in Grades 1 through 8 can attend here. 

Notable Family-Friendly Things to Do in Brooklyn 

Go to the Brooklyn Wind Turbine

Address: 6012, Owhiro Bay Parade, Wellington 6023, New Zealand

Families can visit the first commercial wind turbine in Brooklyn and explore WWII-era bunkers built in the area. 

Take your kids to play at Tanera Park 

Address: 47 Mortimer Terrace, Brooklyn, Wellington 6021, New Zealand

Local families like going to Tanera Park as they have abundant soccer fields, fields for cricket, artificial turfs, and locker rooms, all available at this park.

Tawa

While Tawa isn’t a popular tourist spot in Wellington, it’s one of the best urban towns in Wellington to raise a family. Families move here due to the residents’ diversity and income levels. 

Tawa also offers numerous entertainment options. Thus, locals rarely find themselves bored. 

The downtown area features a wide selection of stores that line both sides of Main Road. There are also a couple of bakeries, coffee shops, and around three or four classy restaurants. 

Additionally, Tawa has a swimming pool, skateboard park, BMX track, tennis courts, badminton courts, and clubrooms for rugby, soccer, hockey, and softball. 

Dancing studios and bowling leagues are examples of other leisure-time activities families can find in Tawa. 

In terms of housing, you may find anything from modest apartments and a few state-owned homes to a handful of million-dollar properties on the city’s outskirts. 

In Tawa, the average asking price for a home with 3-4 bedrooms is 903,800 NZD. Rent starts off at 750 NZD a week. 

Notable Schools in Tawa 

Tawa Intermediate School 

Address: 1 Ranui Tce Tawa Wellington 5028

Tawa Intermediate School is popular among locals for their excellent music programs and advanced curriculum. While it is a smaller school catering to those in years 7 & 8, local parents like the smaller campus as students can get more educational attention if needed. 

Tawa College 

Address: Duncan Street,Tawa,Wellington 5028

Tawa College stays actively involved in the local community, especially in music and sports. They offer an education that is both rigorous and well-rounded. They emphasise encouraging students to set and meet high goals and preparing them for continued academic success throughout life.  

Additionally, foreign students are encouraged to apply to study at Tawa College. There is a cap of 40 international students to promote integration among all pupils.

Johnsonville

Johnsonville is a sizable suburb with a wide range of services and amenities. There’s never a dull moment in Johnsonville. 

Vehicle traffic flows up the main roadway and around the central triangle of this suburb, nestled into the valley at the head of the Ngauranga Gorge. 

Whether you’re looking for a grocery store, an Asian market, a park, a library, a shopping centre, a veterinarian, a doctor, a bakeshop, fish and chips, or classy restaurants, Johnsonville offers it all. They also have convenient public transportation access to and from Wellington city centre.

Johnsonville houses with three to four bedrooms have an average value of 843,350 NZD. Rent starts at 700 NZD a week for homes with at least three bedrooms. 

Notable Schools in Johnsonville 

Johnsonville School 

Address: Morgan Street, Johnsonville, Wellington, New Zealand

At Johnsonville School, they believe that it is crucial to provide a variety of sporting and cultural options for students and ensure they succeed in reading, writing, and mathematics. 

They also have a special education unit on campus, meaning that the children who require it can be fully integrated into the school’s community.

St Brigid’s 

Address: 9/11 Phillip Street, Johnsonville, Wellington 6037, New Zealand

This school strives to maintain a safe and supportive learning environment. Students from around the Northern Wellington areas are welcome to enrol in this fully Catholic primary school.

Premier Preschool

Address: 2 Morgan Street, Johnsonville, Wellington 6037, New Zealand

They consider preschool education integral to a child’s educational journey and work to prepare them for a successful transition to elementary school. 

Local parents like the well-rounded, age-appropriate preschool curriculum that emphasises the development of reading and numeracy and is based on the ideas of Te Whariki, the ECE Curriculum.

Notable Family-Friendly Things to Do in Johnsonville 

Go to Johnsonville Park 

Address: Truscott Avenue, Ohariu, Wellington 6037, New Zealand

Johnsonville Park is a lovely location, tucked away in the Mt. Kaukau forest while still being conveniently accessible. This park is perfect if you want to see glow worms at night, or if you want to hike all the way up to the top of Mt. Kaukau.

Take the kids to Johnsonville Memorial Park

Johnsonville Memorial Park playground  is perfect for younger children with immense energy. With a playground full of activities, local parents take kids here for some nearby fun. 

Johnsonville Playground is also close to the local pool, the library and numerous cafes.