Lyall Bay
Lyall Bay is Wellington's surf beach suburb, on the south coast beside the airport, with the sand, the surf club and Maranui on the front and flat streets behind.
Why people love it here
Lyall Bay is the beach Wellington actually uses. The surf brings people down before work and after it, the sand runs the length of the bay, and the walk along the front is the sort of thing people do every day rather than once a summer.
The Maranui club building has stood above that sand since 1911, and the cafe on its top floor is one of the few places in the city that everybody, from every suburb, has been to.
Behind the front it is flat, which is rarer in Wellington than it sounds. Flat streets mean prams, bikes, scooters and a walk to the shops that does not involve a hill, and that shapes who ends up living here.
It is also quick. The airport is minutes away, Kilbirnie's shops and pool are next door, and the road round the coast takes you to Houghton Bay and on towards the south coast.
Lyall Bay, counted
Stats NZ figures for the statistical area Lyall Bay, Place summaries. Population is the estimated resident population; the rest are the 2023 Census. Licensed CC BY 4.0.
The best of Lyall Bay
Every pick checked against its own listing on 13 September 2026.
What you can buy here
The flat-street bungalow
Weatherboard, flat section, a short walk to the sand. The Lyall Bay house most people are actually looking for.
The beachfront apartment
The blocks facing the water, where the view is the whole proposition.
The newer townhouse
Warmer and lower maintenance, on the streets back from the front. What downsizers and first home buyers tend to land on.
A surf beach ten minutes from town
The sand
A proper break on the doorstep of a capital city, used every day of the year rather than three months of it.
The coast road
East round to Moa Point and the airport, west to Houghton Bay and on to the south coast.
What people ask about Lyall Bay
Where is Lyall Bay?
Lyall Bay is on Wellington's south coast, about 6 km from Lambton Quay, between Kilbirnie and Rongotai to the north and the airport to the east.
How far is Lyall Bay from Wellington's city centre?
About 6 km by road, through the Mount Victoria tunnel or over Constable Street from Newtown.
What is Lyall Bay known for?
The surf beach, Maranui Surf Lifesaving Club and its cafe, the coast walk to Houghton Bay and watching planes land over the bay.
What kind of homes are in Lyall Bay?
1920s and 1930s bungalows on flat streets behind the beach, villas on the slopes towards Melrose, and newer townhouses near Onepu Road.
What schools are in Lyall Bay?
Lyall Bay School is the primary, Evans Bay Intermediate is in Kilbirnie, and Rongotai College and Wellington East Girls' College are the zoned secondaries.
How many properties has Jason Lange sold in Lyall Bay?
2 properties, from my own sale records, counting every title once. Every one is on the results page with its address. See them→
2 properties I have sold in Lyall Bay
From my own sale records, read 17 September 2026. Sale prices are not published here.
Tell me your street and I will send you your Lyall 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.”
