Island Bay
A working fishing bay at the end of the street, a village that still feels like a village, and the whole south coast on your doorstep.
Why people love it here
Island Bay is one of the few parts of Wellington that still works like a small town. The Parade runs straight down to the water, the shops are the kind you walk to rather than drive to, and most weekends somebody you know is at Shorland Park.
The bay itself is the draw. Taputeranga sits out in the middle of it, the fishing boats are still working boats, and the water in front of you is part of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve, so what is under it is properly protected.
It is a suburb that turns up for itself. The Island Bay Festival takes over The Parade every summer, the school is at the centre of things, and the community has a habit of organising itself around whatever needs doing.
And it is genuinely connected. The number 1 bus runs the length of The Parade into the city, the south coast road takes you round to Ōwhiro Bay and Red Rocks, and Newtown and the hospital are a few minutes north.
The best of Island Bay
What you can buy here
The 1920s bungalow
Flat section, weatherboard, high stud. The classic Island Bay family home and the one people come here looking for.
The hillside villa
Up off the road on the slopes either side of the valley, and the ones that catch the view over the bay are the ones people remember.
The newer townhouse
Warmer, lower maintenance, walking distance to the shops. What most downsizers and first home buyers end up looking at.
The south coast starts here
The reserve
Taputeranga Marine Reserve runs along this stretch of coast, so the diving and snorkelling in front of the suburb is some of the best you will get this close to a city.
The coast road
West to Ōwhiro Bay and the Red Rocks seal colony, east round to Houghton Bay and Lyall Bay. All of it walkable or a few minutes in the car.
On the market
30 properties I have sold in Island Bay
From my listings on tommys.co.nz, read 11 September 2026. Sale prices are not published there and are not published here.
Tell me your street and I will send you your Island Bay performance report, with specific sales and data.
“This is the second property Jason has sold for me. He achieved a good result in a challenging market. Jason is knowledgeable, hardworking and personable.”
