Owhiro Bay
The wild south coast, only 10 minutes from the city
Overview
The south facing coastline around Owhiro Bay appeals to those who like their surroundings unmodified from how Mother Nature intended it. Weather beaten timber cottages from the 1930s face bravely out into Cook Strait, watching ferries go constantly back and forth to the South Island. There are some modern housing developments on the eastern side of the bay, but these are modest and in keeping with the overall rustic feeling of the original houses here. The area is only 10 minutes’ drive to the central city, but it feels like you are much farther away.
Best Suited To
Nature lovers, artists, surfers, hermits
Population Profile
Owhiro Bay is a small seaside community that attracts those who enjoy a unique coastal lifestyle. While still predominantly European, there are above average numbers of Maori and Pacific people here, especially when compared to the nearby suburbs of Island Bay and Brooklyn. The seaside locality makes this a popular spot for artists, too. Away from the waterfront and along Happy Valley Road, where rents and property values are lower, the demographic tends to be younger, with more renters
Typical Homes
Many of the cottages along Owhiro Bay Parade appear practically unchanged since they were built in the 1930s. This is particularly true along the western side of the bay. The eastern side, which enjoys late afternoon sun, has a number of new properties built over the last 20 years.
Happy Valley Road and the surrounding streets contain a mixture of housing styles from bungalows, to dwellings from the 1960s and 1970s. Domanski Crescent, at the northern end of the suburb, was developed in the 1990s with mostly monolithic-clad dwellings (see our discussion of these within the Wellington Settlement and Housing Styles chapter).
Amenities
There are no shops in Owhiro Bay, so you’ll need to travel to Brooklyn or Island Bay for your everyday shopping needs.
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Owhiro Bay School is set on Happy Valley Road and caters for years 1-6, with a roll of about 130 students. The nearest secondary schools are either in the central city or eastern suburbs.
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The beach at Owhiro Bay is a rather bleak and stony affair, more suited to foraging than swimming. Brave surfers can be seen riding waves here during a southerly swell. The Beach House and Kiosk Cafe is situated just east of Owhiro Bay, and the outdoor seating area allows a great outlook over the south coast. Red Rocks Reserve is the most popular attraction in the area, a walk of about an hour along the coastline. Seals can often be seen here among the rocks.
Te Kopahau Reserve is a network of tracks set above Red Rocks. The views from these tracks are wonderful but the terrain is steep and not for the easily challenged. The tracks head north toward Brooklyn, although it is possible to take a loop track back down to Happy Valley Road.
Real Estate Trends
Property for sale on Owhiro Bay Parade generates good interest because of the waterfront locality. Homes are wildly varying in their style and presentation, and prices can be wildly unpredictable too. You are likely to need at least $900,000 for one of the basic waterfront houses. More substantial homes, and newer dwellings situated on the favoured sunny side of the bay, are likely to sell in the $1.2 million to $1.6 million range.
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More affordable homes are set on Happy Valley Road and the streets which branch off it. Here you can pick up a three or four bedroom home in the $700,000 to $900,000 range, depending on its presentation and whether it has any sea views. More recently built townhouses in Rarangi Crescent, as you enter Owhiro Bay, have been selling in the range $800,00 to $900,000.
Best Streets
The eastern side of Owhiro Bay Parade (closer to Island Bay) gets the best sun here.
House Prices
Cheaper three bedroom, non-waterfront, partly renovated, from $700,000.
Basic cottage, waterfront, needing renovation, from $900,000.
Larger, modern, waterfront home, from $1.2 million.
Travel Times
Central city – driving 8 minutes non-peak, up to 20 minutes peak.
Airport – driving 15 minutes non-peak.
Hutt Valley – driving 20 minutes non-peak.
Weather
Waterfront sites here are mostly protected from Wellington’s northerly wind. However, they are fully exposed to the southerlies that blast through every so often, and you can expect window-rattling ferocity in a strong southerly storm. Homes on Happy Valley Road experience a funneling wind that comes down the valley from Brooklyn.