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Pukerua Bay is a small sea-side community at the southern end of the Kapiti Coast, New Zealand. In local government terms it is the northernmost suburb of Porirua City. It is 12 km north of the Porirua City Centre on State Highway 1 (SH1), and 30 km north of central Wellington. Pukerua Bay has two train stops along the main trunk railway line.
In Māori, the words puke rua literally mean two hills but it is not clear which hills the name refers to.
According to Statistics New Zealand, the community's population was 1,692 people in 2001, and there were 89 businesses. Pukerua Bay has a kindergarten, a pre-school, and the Pukerua Bay School, which caters for ages 5-12.
Pukerua Bay is perhaps internationally best known as the childhood home of film director Peter Jackson. Jackson's first feature film, Bad Taste, was filmed there.
New Zealand Rugby "legend" Christian Cullen who is nicknamed "Paekakariki Express," was also raised in the bay and the now demolished Paekakariki Hotel contained a museum full of memorabilia relating to him.
Prominent current residents are poets Alistair Campbell and his wife Meg Campbell, and composer Jenny McLeod. Former residents include poets Louis Johnston, Sam Hunt, James K. Baxter and Denis Glover, and actress Davina Whitehouse.
History
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. Most of the clifftop development dates from after World War II. The original railway station was "Pukerua" until changed because of confusion with "Pukerau" in the South Island.
Localities
The majority of Pukerua Bay is situated in a saddle between hills, about 60-80m above sea level, offering sea views (and views of Kapiti Island in the north) from most houses. The coast around Pukerua Bay is fairly steep, with only a few houses nestled in a row behind the two sandy beach areas.
Pukerua Bay's main residential areas are along Rawhiti Road, west of SH1, and Seavista Drive east of SH1. There is a pedestrian bridge over SH1 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 km south), one around the rocky coast, and one inland (part of a longer cycleway) along the railway. The inland route is pre-European - it was traditionally known as te taua tapu (the sacred war-party).
"Pukerua Bay"